The European Social Fund (ESF) is one of four Structural Funds designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union.
The European Social Fund aims to:
-
Help unemployed and inactive people enter work
-
Provide opportunities for people at a disadvantage in the labour market
-
Promote lifelong learning
-
Develop the skills of employed people
-
Improve women's participation in the labour market
-
Improve training, education and counselling for lifelong learning
-
Encourage entrepreneurship and adaptability in the workplace
ESF money is shared out under three Objectives, which are designed to focus resources on those in greatest need. Objectives 1 and 2 target specific regions or areas, while Objective 3 develops human resources.
Over the past 10 years substantial ESF Objective 1 funding has helped the Windmills team to develop a proven track record in linking employability and career management skills with small business competitiveness and economic growth.
Both Objective 1 and Objective 3 funding has enabled us to deliver Windmills programmes at a local, regional and national level to thousands of beneficiaries including the long term unemployed, graduates, and women.
This funding has helped us to provide practitioners in the Information Advice and Guidance profession and Careers staff in FE/HE educational institutions access 'Train the trainer programmes' therefore building internal capacity to benefit many more thousands of individuals with their employability and career management skills.
|
|
