Getting London working

The European Social Fund provides vital support to projects that help some of London's most excluded groups find a path to employment. Ian Mitchell reports

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One of the European Union's (EU's) most established funds, The European Social Fund (ESF) was originally set up in 1957 to improve the skills and employment opportunities of people throughout the EU. Since 2000, the ESF has been a key part of the EU's strategy for growth and jobs, known as the Lisbon strategy.

The ESF provides cash - on a match-funding basis - to projects that address regional priorities in extending employment opportunities; and to date around four million people in England have benefited from ESF-backed projects.

In 2007 the EU launched a new £4 billion round of ESF programmes for the seven years to 2013 (£2 billion of which will be ESF money and £2 billion of which will come from national funds).

From that EU-wide pot, each region's allocation is then based on regional employment and skills needs, for example the number of people not in work and who do not have good qualifications.

London's allocation of £324 million for 2007 - 2013 is the largest of any English region.

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