ESF at West Midlands Leaders Board
West Midlands ESF Programme
2007-2013
There are two Co-Financing Organisations (CFOs) in the West Midlands Region - the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) through its agent in the region Jobcentre Plus and Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in partnership with WMLB on behalf of the West Midlands Local Authorities. With the matched funding they will provide the resources available during the first plan period 2007 - 2010, to address issues of worklessness and improving access to the labour market for disadvantaged people.
The LSC/WMLB Co-Financing Plan, which accounts for in excess of £200m (including match) has been developed in partnership with the West Midlands Leaders Board (WMLB) and West Midlands Local Authorities. The partnership approach is governed by a Joint LSC/WMLB Memorandum of Agreement (MoA).
WMLB provides the co-ordination for Local Authorities in the region in order to :
- make a significant contribution to the implementation of a successful West Midlands Regional ESF Programme 2007-2010
- ensure that local government's social and economic interests in the outcomes of the Co-Financing Plan, at local, sub-regional and regional levels are satisfactorily met.
- be the main contact point for Local Authorities on ESF matters, facilitate involvement and be responsible for co-ordination and communication between all Local Authorities in the West Midlands Region.
A Programme Overview
An Introduction to ESF (European Social Fund)
The European Social Fund (ESF) was set up to improve employment opportunities in the European Union and so help raise standards of living. It aims to help people fulfil their potential by giving them better skills and better job prospects.
The West Midlands ESF Programme will invest £314million in 2007 - 2013 of which £157million will come from ESF and £157million from match-funding.
Programme Objectives
- The Convergence Objective aims to develop areas where the economy is lagging behind the rest of the European Union. In England, only Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly benefits from ESF funding under the Convergence Objective.
- The Regional Competitiveness and Employment Objective covers all areas outside of the 'Convergence' objective. The whole of England is covered by this objective, except Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Within this objective, Merseyside and South Yorkshire benefit from transitional funding as former Objective One regions in 2000-2006.
Focusing our Resource
The Programme is focused on two priority areas of activity and underpinned by four Cross Cutting Themes: Sustainable Development, Gender Equality and Equal Opportuntity, Innovation, and Transnationality.
- Priority 1 - Extending Employment Opportunities
- Priority 2 - Developing a Skilled and Adaptable Workforce
Maximising the Impact
Since 2000, the ESF has been a key part of the EU's Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs. It supports the EU's goal of increasing employment by giving unemployed and disadvantaged people the training and support they need to enter jobs. By focusing on those most in need of help, it contributes to policies to reduce inequality and build a fairer society. ESF also equips the workforce with the skills needed by business in a competitive global economy. The Programme will also contribute to the priorities identified in the Leitch Review of Skills.
Improving the Regional Economy
Activity in the region will be aligned to a Regional ESF Framework agreed by regional partners.
Priority 1 aims to assist 114,100 participants who are unemployed or have become inactive in the labour market and who are most likely to face disadvantage or discrimination into jobsearch activity, learning, and employment. Key target groups include people with disabilities and health conditions; lone parents; people aged over 50; people from ethnic minorities; people without good qualifications; and young people not in education, employment or training.
Priority 2 resources are focused on people in the workforce who lack basic skills or good qualifications. In particular, it focuses on those who are least likely to receive training. It also supports training for managers and employees in small firms. Priority 2 aims to help 106,200 people gain relevant skills and qualifications needed for their career progression and for business growth and innovation in the knowledge economy.
Measuring the Impact
The Regional Framework will be reviewed bi-annually. The reviews will examine progress towards national targets, value for money, levels of engagement with disadvantaged individuals, relevance of strategy to changing regional employment and skills needs, and the allocation of funding to areas of greatest need.
The Framework will be valid for the first three years of the Programme: 2007-2010. A new Framework will be produced for 2010 - 2013.
Delivering in Partnership
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has overall responsibility for ESF funds in England. DWP manages the England ESF programme at a national level and liaises with the European Commission in Brussels.
Working together with regional partners and other Programme stakeholders, Government Office West Midlands are responsible for management of the Programme in the region.
ESF funds are distributed through 'Co-financing Organisations' (CFOs) whose role is to bring together ESF and domestic funding for employment and skills so that ESF complements domestic programmes. The CFOs contract with the organisations or 'providers' that deliver ESF projects on the ground. The CFOs in the region are the West Midlands Learning and Skills Council in partnership with the West Midlands Leaders Board, and Jobcentre Plus (on behalf of DWP).
The 2 Priorities
- Priority 1 is 'Extending employment opportunities'. It supports projects to tackle the barriers to work faced by unemployed and disadvantaged people. About £1.2 billion of ESF money is available for this priority in 2007-2013.
- Priority 2 is 'Developing a skilled and adaptable workforce'. It supports projects to train people who do not have basic skills and qualifications needed in the workplace. About £670 million of ESF money is available for this priority in 2007-2013.
In addition, technical assistance funds are available to finance the preparatory, management, monitoring, evaluation, information and control activities of the Operational Programme, together with activities to reinforce the administrative capacity for implementing the funds, at national and regional levels.
Information and Publicity
The Programme Communication Plan will: (i) raise public awareness of the Programme, (ii) publicise funding opportunities, and (iii) help ensure applicants and beneficiaries understand and comply with the Programme's requirements.
How to access the funds
Funds are accessed through Open and Competitive Tendering rounds led by the LSC/WMLB and DWP/JCP
ESF Community Grants
Community grants will be managed by Grant Co-ordinating bodies and will be accessed through open bidding.
These are small grants of up to £12,000 for voluntary and community organisations to help them reach disadvantaged people who are not working.
The Cross Cutting Themes
Sustainable Development
Efforts will focus on the improvement of energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities
Target groups include women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
Implementation
For effective implementation, the Cross Cutting Themes must be embedded through all stages of the Programme and project lifecycle: through governance, development, appraisal, selection, monitoring and evaluation.
Innovative and Transnational Activities
In addition to encouraging innovation as a means of improving the effectiveness of support, Priorities 1 and 2 will provide for innovative actions. This will be supported nationally through the innovation and mainstreaming sub-committee of the National Monitoring Committee through the Innovation, Transnationality and Mainstreaming ESF.
The region has an excellent track record in delivering successful transnational partnerships and is keen to build on lessons learnt.
The West Midlands has selected 3 themes:
- Active Inclusion
- Engaging with Employers
- New Challenges - Skills for Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Innovative projects must involve at least one other partner from another EU member state. It is expected that the transnational dimension of projects will bring real benefits and added value to the innovative activity. This learning and the transfer of good practice from other member states should aim to achieve strategic benefits that can be widely shared rather than purely operational or organisational benefits.
Contacts
West Midlands Leaders Board
Joy Holland/Louise Woodall
Email: j.holland@wmleadersboard.gov.uk/ l.woodall@wmleadersboard.gov.uk
Telephone: 0121 678 0189
Government Office West Midlands
Peter Long
Email: peter.long@gowm.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0121 352 5157
West Midlands LSC
Teresa Addinell / Antoinette Smallman
Email: teresa.addinell@lsc.gov.uk / Antoinette.smallman@lsc.gov.uk
Telephone: 0121 345 4614 / 0121 345 4639
http://www.lsc.gov.uk/regions/WestMidlands/ESF/programmes/new-programme
Jobcentre Plus
Jo Cranston/Yvonne Crossley
Email: jo.cranston1@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk/ Yvonne.crossley1@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0121 452 5361/0121 452 5432
ESF Innovation, Transnationality and Mainstreaming Co-ordinating Body
Birmingham City Council
Telephone: 0044 (0)121 303 3064
Esf.itm@birmingham.gov.uk
www.esf.gov.uk/innovation_transnationality