ESF updated
The European Social Fund (ESF) was set up to improve employment opportunities in the European Union and so help raise standards of living.

What is the European Social Fund?

The European Social Fund (ESF) is one of the main structural funds set up to improve employment opportunities and so help reduce differences in living standards between the regions of the European Union (EU). It helps people fulfil their potential by giving them better skills and better job prospects. In England, the programme will contribute to sustainable economic growth and social inclusion by extending employment opportunities and by developing a skilled and adaptable workforce.

The programme will increase employment opportunities by helping unemployed and economically inactive people to develop their skills and enter sustainable jobs, particularly those at a disadvantage in the labour market. It will also help to provide young people with the skills for working life, particularly young people not currently in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET.

To this end there are two main priorities that cover activity in the East of England:

Priority 1 - Extending employment opportunities.

Priority 2 - Developing a skilled and adaptable workforce.

See related links for further information on the national programme and for the East of England regional picture