Project Title: Capacity Building For Juvenile Inmates – We Shall Rise Together, A Partnership with Prison Department of Malaysia
Duration: 3 years
Location: Across 13 Juvenile Prison Schools across Malaysia
In partnership with the Prison Department, we are providing digital skills and soft skills training for juvenile inmates across 13 prison schools. In an effort to ensure sustainability of the program, we are also providing training for the teachers of the prison school. In addition to teachers and prison officials, Microsoft employees and volunteers participate in the implementation of this program. Microsoft’s Digital Literacy curriculum forms the basis of this initiative, and successful candidates receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the program.
Since 160 juvenile inmates experience an introduction to computer science concepts via an hour of code in 2015, prison teachers have been working with juvenile prison inmates to complete the Digital Literacy Curriculum. As of July 2017, we have completed two Train the Trainer sessions, and batches of students in all 13 prison schools have participated in the program.
What impact has this project created to the employees / volunteers?
The project provided employees an opportunity to use their skills beyond their work environment. The HR team shared soft skill for interviews, the finance team taught basic accounting. The volunteers were able to relate to the inmates as they were peer and became mentors to the inmates too. The project provided an opportunity to serve an often forgotten segment of our society.
What impact has this project created in the community / nation?
The juvenile inmates who went through the course all passed SPM and 2 were able to secure seats in university. It provided an opportunity for the inmates to be employed, start a small business or pursue their studies. It opened a new form of collaboration for the inmates to break out of the cycle of poverty too.
Who were the partners in this project and what their roles?
The partners were the Prison Department of Malaysia and Yayasan Generasi Gemilang. Partnering with the Prison Department, we provided Digital Literacy training for the teachers of Prison Department and in partnership with NGO we conducted the other trainings.
How was this project help to advance the chosen SDG?
It has created an opportunity to enhance employability for inmates, who would have had no or reduced chance of getting employment. The inmates who were trained were getting job placement and opportunity to pursue studies too. Largely it helped the inmates to get back into society. build businesses and provide employment too.
