Great Britain: European Social Fund Objective 4

Summary:

The European Commission has today approved the Single Programming Document (SPD) providing European structural assistance for Great Britain under Objective 4 of the European Social Fund (ESF). Assistance from the European Social Fund for 1998 and 1999 under this SPD amounts to ECU 247,4 million. European intervention under Objective 4 of the ESF seeks to facilitate the adaptation of workers to industrial change and to changes in production systems. The SPD (a document drawn up jointly by the Member State and the Commission) sets out the priorities for assistance and the resources required. The priorities which form the basis of assistance from the ESF under the Objective 4 SPD for Great Britain are: (1) to develop anticipation tools used in the development of training programmes; (2) to target training on those individuals within companies who do not have relevant up-to-date skills and who risk becoming unemployed; (3) to fund the development of innovative training systems; to encourage improved networking between SMEs and SMEs and large firms and the dissemination of results of research.