Doncaster Council

European Social Fund (ESF) Programme

The ESF Programme is divided into three priorities:

Priority 1 - Extending employment opportunities

The objective of Priority 1 is to increase employment and to reduce unemployment and inactivity. It will help to tackle barriers to work faced by disadvantaged groups such as:

• people with disabilities and health conditions

• lone parents and other disadvantaged parents

• older workers

• ethnic minorities

• people with no or low qualifications, and

• young people not in education, employment or training (NEETS).

By tackling and preventing worklessness, this priority will help to improve social inclusion and social mobility.  In particular, by helping unemployed and inactive parents to enter sustainable jobs and make progress at work, it will help to alleviate child poverty.

This priority will also contribute to the skills strategy, by helping unemployed and inactive people to gain the skills they need for employability and to make progress in the workplace.
Unemployed and inactive people will be eligible for support within Priority 1.

Priority 2 - Developing a skilled and adaptable workforce

The objective of Priority 2 is to develop a skilled and adaptable workforce by:

• reducing the number of people without basic skills

• increasing the number of people qualified to level 2 and, where justified, to level 3

• reducing gender segregation in the workforce, and

• developing managers and workers in small enterprises. There will be a particular focus on the low skilled.

By developing a skilled and adaptable workforce, this priority will help to improve productivity, innovation, enterprise and competitiveness. It will help people to develop the skills needed by business in a knowledge-based economy.

By focusing on those who lack basic skills and level 2 qualifications, this priority will also promote sustainable employment and social inclusion. By improving the qualifications of low skilled and part-time women workers, it will help to promote gender equality and reduce gender gaps in the workforce.

Priority 3 - Technical Assistance

This priority finances the management, monitoring and evaluation of the programme to enhance the impact of the programme. Lessons have been learned from 2000-2006 programmes.