Thirteen London councils have joined forces with the European Social Fund (ESF) in an effort to deliver more than £8 million to projects seeking to help Londoners into paid work. The partnership will operate 19 projects which will receive funding to improve the skills and employment opportunities.
Under the agreement, ESF money is match funded by the boroughs to double the amount of money available to help organisations working to improve employment in their local area.
Projects being funded include a scheme to help workless parents into employment, and a scheme to provide individuals with mental health, physical or learning disabilities with the skills and support they need to access the job market.
In Redbridge the Barnabas Workshops will target support in specific wards in the borough with low employment rate and in Wandsworth Talent Recruitment Ltd will manage a project to tackle worklessness among black males of Caribbean heritage aged 19-25.
Chairman of London Councils’ Grants Committee, Councillor Lynne Hillan said:
“In these financially turbulent times when thousands could be at risk of losing their jobs, it will become increasingly important that we do more to help people gain access to – and stay in – paid work.
“Working with ESF, these boroughs are going the extra mile for their residents and ensuring a host of schemes designed to get more Londoners back to work will receive the funding they need.”
The 13 boroughs taking part are Barking and Dagenham, Bromley, City of London, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster.
