The fund focuses on helping people back into employment or improving their skills in the workplace, especially where they may be disadvantaged in some way, for example through disability, ethnicity or age.
In total £276M will have been spent by the end of the current programme period which has been extended into 2008 in order to maximise spend and achievement by participants on the programme.
The picture shows Holly Fields receiving her award as the 'Star Achiever' from Chris Holmes, MBE Paralympic swimmer (On right). Holly achieved success through Chrysalis, a charity based in Southampton, funded through ESF by the Learning Skills Council.
David Steed head of the ESF secretariat at GOSE said "it is particularly pleasing that 47% of those participating in the programme will be in work on leaving and a further 20% will move into further training or voluntary work".
An event was held at Sandown Park Racecourse on 11 September to celebrate the impact of the 2000 - 2006 ESF programme in the South East and to look forward to the new programme for 2007 - 2013.
The celebration revolved around the presentation of awards, which recognised people in the South East who have achieved lasting excellence and success through training and learning, in some cases overcoming significant obstacles on their path back to employment.
Madeleine Watters from the Learning and Skills Council said:
"ESF has added value to mainstream programmes and helped us to support the development of innovative stand alone projects designed to tackle exclusion and raise skill levels.
The funds have enabled providers to offer the time and staff resources needed to engage beneficiaries and to carry out activities where their target groups need a more intense level of support if they are going to achieve their goal of moving closer towards employment.
This support is particularly beneficial where individuals are facing multiple disadvantage."
The conference will include the publication of the evaluation report and a premiere of a DVD both of which feature a number of case studies including the story of a young man at Portsmouth Foyer who has benefited from the fund:
"When I left home at 19 I did some labouring and worked in a fast food restaurant and a pub for a bit, but that was just enough to earn enough money to buy drink and drugs.
I finally found myself with no-where to live, a drug habit, and sleeping rough in the local park. I asked myself was this really what I wanted from life. It was then that I found out about the Foyer.
As soon as I went there they gave me a room and started me on the Get real project. This really changed my life. You have to get up at 9 am in the morning for the Get up and Go Breakfast Club and this really gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning ...before I would have stayed in bed.
They gave me a test which spotted that I had discalculus and which also showed how I like to learn best. I've been given help on the maths and I'm doing a Learndirect numeracy course and hope to take my GCSE maths soon."
The new programme for 2007 - 2013 is worth £153 million in the South east and will be available in 2 phases 2007-10 and 2011-13 with £82 million in the first period.
The programme will feature the following:
- help to workless adults including those in receipt of incapacity benefit, lone and other disadvantaged parents, people over 50, minority ethnic groups, ex-offenders;
- assistance to young people aged 16-19 not in or at risk of being Not in Education, Employment or Training ( the NEET group);
- developing a skilled and adaptable workforce including basic skills for those in the workforce with very low levels of literacy and numeracy along with re-skilled and up-skilling through accredited learning at levels NVQ 2,3,4 and beyond.
The programme has been developed with a strong emphasis on linking in with the Regional Economic Strategy through close collaboration with the Regional Skills for Productivity Alliance, who represent key stakeholder interests across the region in the development of an ESF framework.
This is to ensure the South East region uses ESF in a socially inclusive way to help maintain and improve its position as a world-class economy competing effectively on a global stage.
David Steed head of the ESF secretariat at GOSE said "This new programme will assist all in the SE in ensuring the region continues to achieve its full potential on the world stage."
