Engineering - Specialist Production Instructor (SPI) - Engineering Welding and Fabrication

Ministry of Justice; Arundel; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental agency is seeking an Engineering Workshop Instructor to deliver high-quality training in MIG welding at HMP Ford. The role involves inducting and training prisoners, assessing skills, and ensuring quality standards in a secure environment. Candidates should be fluent in English and possess relevant security clearance. This rewarding position offers the chance to make a significant impact on the prisoners' skills and future employability.

Benefits

Employer pension options

Flexible working arrangements

Childcare vouchers

Qualifications

• Relevant security clearance – DBS Standard required.
• Ability to train and mentor prisoners and maintain discipline.

Responsibilities

• Induct prisoners and train them in Health and Safety.
• Assess skills of prisoners up to national qualification standards.
• Supervise and maintain discipline of prisoners.

Skills

Fluency in English

Mentoring

Health and Safety knowledge

Job description

Role Overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a skilled and motivated individual to join our Industries team at HMP Ford, a Category D open prison located near Arundel, West Sussex. As an Engineering Workshop Instructor, you will work alongside another experienced instructor to deliver high-quality training in MIG welding to prisoners, supporting their development of practical skills and enhancing their future employability. Our workshop produces a range of items for the internal market, including ramps, gates and bespoke products for other establishments. You will play a key role in ensuring all work meets rigorous quality assurance standards before dispatch. This is a varied and rewarding role that offers genuine job satisfaction, combining hands‑on engineering with the opportunity to make a positive impact.

Responsibilities

• Induct prisoners to the workshop/area of work and train them in aspects such as Health and Safety, Control of Substance Hazardous to Health (COSHH), machinery and tools usage.
• Provide support for prisoners where required; tailor learning and training requirements to individual needs.
• Set work schedules and manage targets/quality standards, maintaining delivery of contractual arrangements.
• Assess and evaluate skills of prisoners up to national qualification standards.
• Supervise and maintain discipline of prisoners within workshop/area of work, responsible for performance, motivation, discipline, appraisal and development of prisoners.
• Maintain regular communications via radio net in accordance with Local Security Strategy (LSS).
• Open and complete Assessment Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) forms, Violence Reduction Incident Reports (VRIR) and Security Information Reports (SIRs) when required and contribute to Incentive Earned Privileges (IEP) reports.
• Provide quality assurance against product specification.
• Log attendance and approve prisoner hours worked and wages including recording piece work where appropriate.
• Carry out fabric and tool checks of workshops and maintain security of areas, logging any tool/equipment faults. Undertake planned maintenance programme on machinery.
• Contribute to prisoner reports including parole and sentence planning.
• Complete regime monitoring information and update prisoner training records.
• Contribute to Health and Safety risk assessments relating to the workshop/area of work and specialist areas.
• Request materials and estimate usage in order to meet work targets.
• Initiate product development reviews to maintain workshop/area of work output levels, and to provide variety of work and experience for prisoners.
• Participate in self-audit and in achieving Service Delivery Indicators (SDIs).
• Complete administration activities to support the smooth running of the workshop.

Requirements

• Fluency in English (and Welsh where specified for Welsh sites).
• Relevant security clearance – DBS Standard required.
• Ability to train and mentor prisoners and maintain discipline in a secure environment.

Benefits and Working Arrangements

• Hybrid working arrangements available where business needs allow; roles may be based in the UK at MoJ offices or local Justice Collaboration Centres.
• Standard full-time working hours: 37 hours per week excluding unpaid breaks.
• Annual leave: 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays, plus pro‑rated annual leave based on a non‑standard pattern.
• Employer pension: choice of two Civil Service pension schemes.
• Work‑life balance support, flexible working subject to satisfactory probationary period, and promotion programmes.
• Eligibility for season‑ticket advance after two months' service.
• Childcare vouchers and training opportunities in Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention, Anti‑Bullying and related subjects.

EEO Statement

HMPPS welcomes part‑time, flexible and job‑sharing working patterns and is committed to equal opportunities for all candidates. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ will offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. The “Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans” initiative provides a guaranteed interview scheme for eligible former Armed Forces members. Redeployment interview schemes exist where staff face redundancy.