1: Employment Support
Launch a major European employment support initiative Other Information:
a) The Commission is proposing to simplify criteria for European Social Fund (ESF) support and step up advance payments from
early 2009, so that Member States have earlier access to up to € 1.8 bn in order to: – Within flexicurity strategies, rapidly
reinforce activation schemes, in particular for the low-skilled, involving personalised counselling, intensive (re-)training
and upskilling of workers, apprenticeships, subsidised employment as well as grants for self-employment, business start-up's
and – Refocus their programmes to concentrate support on the most vulnerable, and where necessary opt for full Community financing
of projects during this period; – Improve the monitoring and matching of skills development and upgrading with existing and
anticipated job vacancies; this will be implemented in close cooperation with social partners, public employment services
and universities; Working with Member States, the Commission proposes to re-programme ESF expenditure to ensure that immediate
priorities are met. b) The Commission will also propose to revise the rules of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
so that it can intervene more rapidly in key sectors, either to cofinance training and job placements for those who are made
redundant or to keep in the labour market skilled workers who will be needed once the economy starts to recover. The Commission
will review the budgetary means available for the Fund in the light of the implementation of the revised rules.
Indicator(s):
|
