Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced the launch of a new seven-year, £680m European Social Fund (ESF) programme to support projects to help Londoners find employment, provide new skills for disadvantaged young people and to help tackle exclusion and reduce crime and violence.
The new programme, funded by the European Commission with matching funds from the Learning and Skills Council, the Department for Work and Pensions, the London Development Agency, and London Councils, is to be administered by the London Development Agency under direction from Mayor Johnson.
Johnson said he welcomed the funding “through which some of the issues facing London’s poorest citizens will be addressed.”
“We will make the most of the opportunities the new programme provides to get more Londoners into sustainable jobs. This includes addressing the needs of our youth, especially those at risk of offending or who require a second chance to turn their life around.’
The funds have also been welcomed by James Plaskitt, Minister with responsibility for the ESF at the Department for Work and Pensions. Mr Plaskitt said the priority was to “support those who, despite record employment levels, remain out of work, giving people new life-changing opportunities.”
Damian Hockney says
Oh dear. When I read those words “administered by the LDA”, I feel like those Education Ministry staff when faced with the re-opening of St Trinian’s (1960)…and getting Londoners “into sustainable jobs” – what are these? Who will monitor the spending and whether “sustainable” jobs are created? Who will be paid to deliver it? Or is it enough to throw money at a problem so that we can tick the box saying something has been done? Cash would be better spent removing the low paid from tax altogether, taking an axe to the increased bureaucracy which damages small business from employing more people, and finding out why the stubbornly high level of unemployment in parts of London has beaten so many other huge sums of cash thrown at it. That last bit is vital – in spite of all promises and programmes, nothing has been achieved in these areas except making politicians feel good. And btw, in case anyone is in doubt, it is not the European Commission’s money, it is the European Commission giving out UK taxpayers’ money.