A careers adviser from Abergavenny is up for an award for helping rehabilitate offenders in HMP Usk, and HMP Prescoed, in Monmouthshire.

Christine Baker has worked at Careers Wales for 25 years and has been part of the prison programme for the majority of that time, helping individuals facing release.

Advisers like Christine attend prison employment fairs, workshops, discharge-board meetings and meet with prisoners.

The adviser of the year award is given to individuals with an outstanding level of effort and achievement. Christine showed the significant impact she had made on people’s lives through her work.

One former inmate she worked with, said:

“In prison, I honestly thought my working life as I knew it was over.

“Companies would not touch me as my offence became very public and viral online. I had lost all hope of finding a job that I could put my 16 years of learned expertise to good use.

“I really did not know where my life was going.

“I had always worked since the age of 18 and thought of not being able to work really bothered me.

“I had a meeting with Christine and she immediately put me at ease.

“She became my light at the end of what was previously a very dark tunnel.

“Christine became my ‘go to’ person. She would listen and advise me and guided me into putting a plan of action together for my release. I always felt empowered after our appointments and like I had a purpose.

“Now, 15 months later, I am now more positive about my future than I have ever been at any point in my working life to date.

‘‘I love my job and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that Christine has genuinely helped me take control of my life again.”

As a result of Christine’s ambitions, Careers Wales set up a prison resettlement work experience programme for inmates in 2018, with its head office in Cardiff.

Christine is among three others shortlisted for the prestigious accolade which will be presented next month at an awards ceremony in Leeds.

She said: “Working with prisoners comes with a unique set of challenges.

“Many of the men have issues with literacy, numeracy and lack of work history.

“Sometimes they are highly skilled and well educated but can’t return to their former industries.

“While a lot of prisoners are motivated and determined to succeed, they are also often frustrated because there is no clear career path for them to take whilst in the prison system and upon their release.

“I help them through this process to find their way out, whether that be through education, training, employment or voluntary work.

“Almost all of the people I work with just want to move on in their lives and do something different.

“The challenge is finding that ‘different’ for them so they will stick with it and create a life for themselves and their families in which they are in secure and stable jobs.

“It genuinely inspires me to see someone come from a closed point of view where they feel as though their options are extremely limited, to realising the opportunities available to them in the prison system and the services we offer them.

“Every case has a unique set of problems, which means I need to give a bespoke solution, but what unites every case is the sense of reward I achieve when I see someone grow in self-confidence and realise they’re able to find a job they have the skills and passion to do,” she said.

To find out more about the support Careers Wales provides offenders and ex-offenders through the Working Wales employment advice service, please visit www.workingwales.co.uk.