Elise Archer,Attorney-General and Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation
Our Government is continuing to do all we can to attract more Correctional Officers into the Tasmania Prison Service (TPS), as part of our ongoing recruitment drive to ensure the safety of staff, inmates and the community.
This week, another significant milestone has been reached, with two recruit schools underway at the same time.
Twenty-one new recruits commenced their training on Monday and will undertake an intensive 10 week training program that combines classroom learning with on the job placements.
They join 23 recruits who will complete their training this week, with a graduation ceremony to be held on Friday before they commence work across our TPS facilities state-wide.
This once again confirms my ongoing commitment in Correctional Officer recruitment since coming to office, with four recruit schools in 2022, the most ever held by the TPS in one year, along with bridging courses for existing, experienced Correctional Officers we attract from interstate and overseas.
These bridging courses run for three weeks, providing an accelerated entry for those with existing skills, knowledge and experience in the Correctional Officer role.
The next bridging course is scheduled for August, with five additional Correctional Officers set to join the TPS workforce.
Boosting Correctional Officer numbers remains a key focus of mine for 2022 and beyond, and a selection process is already underway to select the next round of Correctional Officer recruits who will commence their training in September, with a further intake to commence in November.
Supported by a major intensive advertising campaign, applications remain open for subsequent recruit schools and I encourage anyone considering a career in corrections, or a new career, to visit the TPS dedicated recruitment website (https://correctionscareers.tas.gov.au/) to learn more about the role which is challenging and rewarding.
Correctional Officers play an important role making Tasmania a safer place, not only by maintaining safety and security within correctional facilities but also through positively supporting offenders' rehabilitation to ensure they leave prison with the best chance of returning to a successful life in the community.
Congratulations to both the incoming recruits and those who are graduating this week, and I wish them well as they embark on their careers with the TPS.
