Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry today announced details of a series of road shows to publicise the forthcoming new European Social Fund (ESF) Programme 2014 – 2020.
The Department for Employment and Learning, as the managing authority for ESF in NI, is organising the road shows to provide information on the programme, its priority target sectors and the application process. The fund will open for public calls at the end of November 2014.
Inviting eligible organisations to register for the road shows, Dr Farry said: “I am keen to maximise the impact of the benefits and opportunities of this new European Social Fund to further drive up skills in Northern Ireland. The European Commission via the ESF is investing £170million out of a total programme allocation of £425million.
“The investment will provide new opportunities to people who face the greatest barriers to work and learning, and aims to help 132,000 individuals fulfil their potential by giving them better skills and better job prospects to take steps towards employment.”
Funded by the European Commission, the overall strategic aim of the Northern Ireland ESF is to help reduce economic inactivity and increase workforce skills by promoting access to employment, social inclusion and skills for growth. It contributes to social protection and social inclusion by supporting actions to extend employment opportunities to people at a disadvantage in the labour market.
The Minister continued: “ESF has made real and sustained changes to people’s lives, while at the same time contributing to the growth of our local economy. The fund also aligns to my Department’s objective to equip the workforce with the skills needed by business in a competitive global economy. Priority groups for support will include projects and initiatives for young people not in education, employment or training and people with disabilities; and apprenticeship opportunities under the new system outlined in our strategy Securing our Success.
“I look forward to the support from organisations across Northern Ireland who can potentially collaborate with my Department in implementing the European Social Fund in the coming years.”
The ESF programme aims to deliver on the objectives of EU 2020, the European Union’s ten year strategy for putting Europe’s economy back on the path to growth, and aims to promote access to employment, social inclusion and skills for growth. The fund also supports the Executive’s Programme for Government objectives of “Growing a sustainable economy; investing in the future; creating opportunities; tackling disadvantage and improving health and well-being.”
Any public body, including local councils, and legally formed private organisations are eligible to apply for ESF funding.
Full details of the road shows and how to register are available at:
www.delni.gov.uk/esf-roadshows
or by telephoning DEL’s European Social Fund branch on 028 9025 7669.
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