Cronfeydd yr UE: Buddsoddi yng Nghymru

EU Funds: Investing in Wales

European Social Fund Programmes 2014-2020

Jane McMillan

Update March 2016

• Programme Priorities

• Progress with implementation

• Priorities for period ahead

2014-2020 ESF Programmes

Programmes Priorities

ESF investing £594m in West Wales and the Valleys ESF investing £150m in East Wales

Specific aims, • Tackle Poverty and Social Inclusion • Invest in Skills • Invest in young people

Invest at least 20% of Programme funding tackling poverty

Programmes Priorities

Three Priorities:-

• Tackling Poverty Through Sustainable Employment

• Skills for Growth

• Youth Employment and Attainment

Additional Tackling Poverty Cross Cutting Theme

And … the Tackling Poverty Priority invests 24% of the Programme in West Wales and the Valleys and 21% in East Wales.

Progress to Date

Programmes approved December 2014

40 projects approved to date

41% (£244m) ESF committed in West Wales and the Valleys providing support to xx individuals

32% (£48m) ESF committed in East Wales providing support to xx individuals.

Progress to date: Priority 1 Tackling Poverty

24% of ESF committed in West Wales; 21% in East WalesForecast to support 70,000 individualsMain focus on supporting those furthest away from labour market with complex barriers to employmentPortfolio of projects include – React (WWV) Communities for Work, Healthy Working Wales, PACE.Regional LA projects – Bridges to Work, Workways+

Progress to Date: Priority 2 Skills for Growth

43% of ESF committed in West Wales; 47 % in East WalesForecast to support 76,000 individualsMain focus is supporting skills progression, with support for low skilled and intermediate skilled employees and women in the workforcePortfolio of projects include Apprenticeships, regional FE projects and Agile Nation 2

Progress to date: Priority 3 – Youth Employment and Attainment

30% of ESF committed in West Wales; 29% in East WalesForecast to support 58,000 individualsMain focus on young people who are disengaged from the labour market and education, enhancing attainment of young people, a focus on STEM subjects and building the skills of the early years workforcePortfolio of projects include Jobs Growth Wales, Traineeships, Progress for Success, LA regional projects and STEM Cymru

Priorities for Period Ahead

Move into delivery: over to you

Ambitious targets for both programmes

Approx 93,000 people supported under the Poverty Priorities

Primarily hardest to help – either economically inactive, long term unemployed who face complex barriers to work

Priorities for Period Ahead

Over 150,000 young people supported under the Youth priorities

Primarily those 11-24 year olds most at risk of becoming NEET aged or 16-24 year olds classed as NEET.

Finally

Aim to build on successes of 2007/13 programmes

A good track record – • supported over 636, 000 individuals• helped over 70,000 into employment• supported over 79,000 apprenticeships• helped 128,000 young people