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POLICY FIELDS

Policy Field 1 - Active Labour Market Policies

Main areas for ESF support:

  • improved advice and guidance at the start of unemployment
  • improved job skills for the long-term unemployed
  • widen access to adult basic skills
  • stronger partnerships between local organisations
  • removing barriers to getting back into the labour market

Measure 1

To provide advice, guidance and support to help people to develop active and on-going job search plans and prevent them from moving into long-term unemployment.

Types of Actions include:

  • supporting additional measures to enhance the UK’s comprehensive benefits system
  • improving advice, guidance and community education through new and creative systems and approaches
  • involving businesses in schools to encourage chances of employment and motivation
  • early offers of help, including advice and guidance, using new forms of IT
  • training for Employment Service staff to deliver improved, modern services
  • improving the match between job supply and demand

Measure 2

To improve the chances of work of the unemployed, returners and young people of working age through targeted involvement to improve vocational and other key skills and remove external barriers to the labour market.

Types of Actions include:

  • providing support through combined approaches, including providing vocational, social and key skills
  • job rotation initiatives for the very long-term unemployed
  • encouraging unemployed people to start their own businesses
  • encouraging long partnerships with intermediate labour market projects to help unemployed people into the open labour market
  • supporting community development, where this leads to better access to the labour market for those excluded from it

Policy Field 2 - Equal Opportunities For All and Promoting Social Inclusion

Main areas for ESF support:

  • widening access to basic skills
  • removing barriers to entering the labour market
  • developing local responses to local needs
  • fighting discrimination
  • tailoring services to individual needs

Measure 1

To widen access to basic skills through developing new and creative and effective ways of promoting and providing basic skills, directed at those groups disadvantaged, excluded from or under-represented in the workplace.

  • supporting intensive involvement to meet the needs of the client group through
    - vocational guidance
    - training
    - measures that support employment

Measure 2

  • To provide help to improve chances of employment and remove barriers to entering the labour market for those groups disadvantaged in the labour market such as: people with disabilities, ethnic minorities,13-17 year olds who have chosen to leave the educational system, lone parents, older workers, ex-offenders, the homeless, refugees and people recovering from addiction.
  • To develop local responses to help individuals with many disadvantages in the labour market who face the risk of not being given opportunities.
  • providing intensive support to help target groups to reach levels of basic skills needed for employment
  • supporting pre-entry training which reflects identified labour market needs
  • providing integrated packages which meet the needs of lone parents and returners
  • customised training which reflects labour market opportunities
  • capacity building actions to ensure that ESF is reaching those groups in greatest need and is developing and delivering ESF activities in the community

Measure 3

To fight discrimination in the labour market, in particular to combat race, disability and age discrimination and improve the chances of employment for these groups.

Types of Actions include

  • researching into institutional discrimination
  • actions to combat discrimination
  • supporting initiatives which eliminate institutional discrimination in recruitment and promotion

Policy Field 3 - Lifelong Learning

Main areas for ESF support:

  • helping those without basic skills to acquire them
  • improving the basic skills of people of working age with particular emphasis on school leavers and older workers
  • helping those in work to stay in work, either in their current job or a new job, by encouraging them to maintain, improve and update basic skill levels on a long-term basis
  • making sure that the learning provided reflects the changing needs of business

Measure 1

  • Promoting lifelong learning and encouraging groups who lack basic and key skills to take part.
  • Supporting the main policy developments in lifelong learning to improve numbers taking part.

Types of Actions include:

  • supporting joint action through Learning and Skills Councils, local Learning Partnerships, further and higher education establishments and through SMEs
  • providing individuals with Information and Communication Technology skills
  • providing individuals with basic and key skills and reducing the risk of those with poor skills falling behind
  • improving access through more new and creative means, including community and family schemes, and through helping individuals develop and mange their own learning
  • identifying and promoting ways which can open up access to learning for those adults least likely to be part of the education system

Measure 2

Improving employment skills through directing and supporting lifelong learning so that it reflects the changing needs of employers, such as in the fields of IT, management and the environment.

Types of Actions include:

  • supporting business, especially SMEs, by equipping the workforce with the right skills
  • forecasting which skills will be needed and making sure skills training relates to the Regional Development Agency (RDA) regional economic strategy
  • forging links between businesses and support networks

Policy Field 4 - Adaptability and Entrepreneurship

Main areas for ESF support:

  • updating and upgrading employees' vocational skills, including basic skills
  • identifying and meeting developing skills shortages, including higher-level skills
  • encouraging entrepreneurship
  • encouraging businesses to become more competitive
  • helping businesses, especially SMEs, to become more competitive through the skills of their workers

Measure 1

To update and upgrade employees’ vocational skills, including basic and key skills.

Types of Actions include:

  • developing employees by updating and upgrading their vocational skills
  • considering new methods of delivering basic skills by
    - provision of advice and guidance
    - training trainers and managers
    - promoting the effective use of Information and Communication Technology in SMEs
  • equipping workers threatened with redundancy with
    - training and funding to turn good ideas into workable businesses
    - supporting innovation and creativity

Measure 2

To identify and meet developing skills shortages, including those at higher levels.

Types of Actions include:

  • identifying skill shortages within all sectors in each region, including new skills emerging from the knowledge-driven economy
  • providing training to meet identified skills shortages, including innovative methods of training delivery
  • promoting effective investment in training by employers
  • making sure teachers in schools know about identified skill shortages

Measure 3

To encourage entrepreneurship and make businesses more competitive, particularly SMEs.

Types of Actions include:

  • supporting small and medium-sized companies to help them to expand and create new employment opportunities
  • researching into new ways of organising of work including:
    - introducing or improving flexible working (including the work-home balance)
    - strengthening the links between employers and education or training institutions, especially in the fields of science, technology and research
  • supporting individuals setting up their own businesses with, for example, advice on the law, recruitment and business planning

Policy Field 5 - Improving the Participation of Women in the Labour Market

To reduce the disadvantages faced by women in the labour market

Main areas for ESF support:

  • improving access to learning
  • removing barriers to employment
  • removing the barriers that prevent women from entering the labour market
  • reducing the barriers that prevent women from progressing within the labour market
  • researching into issues related to pay, isolation, promotion and discrimination in employment

Measure 1

To improve access to learning and remove barriers to employment.

Types of Actions include:

  • Improving the quality and flexibility of local training participation in lifelong learning partnerships
  • Improving the relevance of skills training to local employment needs and opportunities
  • Tackling barriers, such as childcare and other caring responsibilities, raising awareness and promoting family friendly policies
  • Providing vocational training to allow women to enter nontraditional occupations
  • developing entrepreneurs, especially amongst those who have been out of the labour force

Measure 2

To put money into issues related to gender discrimination in employment such as recruitment, pay, isolation and progression.

Types of Actions include:

  • researching and developing practical recommendations to fight occupational isolation, gender stereotyping and discrimination in institutions on recruitment, pay, progression and other aspects of employment
  • activities to put into place the recommendations arising from the above research

LVSTC is funded by the European Social Fund via the London Development Agency,
London Councils, City Bridge Trust and City Parochial Foundation