Our Courses
The Inside Ecommerce Academy is the first course from Inside Academy, a programme to help guide inmates through every step of setting up and launching their e-commerce business post-release.
Our purpose is to help reform prison education provision in the UK and provide viable enterprise opportunities for our students upon their release from prison.
To achieve this, The Inside Academy is actively involved in designing multiple courses across different disciplines to appeal to as many people as possible and revolutionise what is currently on offer in the criminal justice system.
Inside E-commerce Academy is the inaugural course to be presented by Inside Academy. This innovative program, which is stigma-free, non-customer facing, and scalable, provides a promising avenue for prisoners to advance their prospects after release, particularly in the face of the global pandemic that has exacerbated the already limited employment opportunities for former prisoners.
Self-Reliant
The enterprising nature of The Inside Ecommerce Academy course helps avoid the uncertain nature of job seeking and helps combat the subsequent reoffending rates, helping our learners to become financially self-sufficient and enabling them to provide for themselves and their families in a legitimate, scalable and sustainable fashion.
Stigma Free
The course will teach all of the fundamentals of starting and running an e-commerce business from home – meaning there is no judgement, and the absence of face-to-face interaction with customers can provide added reassurance to many ex-offenders.
“I feel I have all of the knowledge required in setting up my own eBay enterprise and I’m eager to give it a go upon release.”
HMP Drake Hall graduate, April 2022
The Inside Academy Ecommerce Course
E-commerce is innovative to the prison education curriculum and overcomes many of the complex employment barriers facing ex-offenders:
It requires no prior experience/minimum education.
It is a non-customer-facing industry meaning graduates can build a legitimate and scalable business without being subject to the stigmas and stereotypes of having to declare a conviction.
It is flexible around childcare/probation/support service commitments.
It circumnavigates less inclusive employers.
And:
As the fastest growing retail area worldwide, it offers high revenue potential (with immediate payment), meaning set up from day one of release from prison.
The Inside Academy offers the only accredited E-commerce Business course for prisoners in the UK (co-designed and delivered by the prison community). The qualification has been successfully delivered in multiple prisons across the UK. It has achieved 100% attendance and 100% pass rate to date.
With independent evaluation from Kings College London and peer evaluation from our community, evidencing a 100% pass rate = prisoner demand and significant improvements in prisoner well-being, confidence, self-esteem, and gained business skills.
