Home > News > September 2004 > 28-Jul-2004

£10m fund launched to boost skills and jobs in London

Charities, training providers and other community groups across London can now apply for funding from a £10m scheme launched by the Mayor's London Development Agency (LDA) and the European Social Fund (ESF).

The fund is aimed at improving the basic skills and job prospects of the most socially disadvantaged groups in London, particularly those from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, people with disabilities and refugees who live in some of the most deprived parts of the capital.

The three year programme is seen as key to tackling issues of economic and social exclusion faced by many Londoners.

"The fund is designed to release the untapped potential of some of London's most disadvantaged communities", said Maxine Jones, Director of Skills and Employment at the LDA. "This new money will help people to improve their skills and job prospects. This in turn will help them make a greater contribution to the capital's economy, whilst improving the prosperity of individuals, their families and the communities in which they live."

The prospectus, application form and guidance notes are available on the LDA website, www.lda.gov.uk, and the deadline for the return of applications is 12 noon on Thursday 11 November 2004.

This funding initiative will focus on providing access to skills and training in:

• Basic Skills
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills
• Construction
• Tourism
• Engineering
• Creative Industries
• Childcare
• ICT
• Transport and Logistics
• The Voluntary Sector

Funding will be targeted at eight key project areas:

• Projects for 13-17 year olds at risk of social exclusion
• Higher- level skills training aimed at refugee communities
• Assistance to new social enterprise business
• Support for entry level jobs in the construction, tourism and transport sector for long-term unemployed people from BME communities, disabled people, ex offenders, people over 50, homeless people and refugees
• Fighting discrimination in the labour market for ethnic minorities, people over 50, homeless and refugees
• Addressing basic skills needs of employees whose skills need updating
• Identifying and meeting higher level skills shortages
• Improving women's access to learning and employment

This is the second phase of a five year programme launched in January 2003 which has already helped at least 30 individual projects in areas such as training, employment and research.

Those who have benefited from the fund to date include:

Mohammed, an electrical engineer who was the Director of an electrical control production company in Iraq, who was forced to seek refuge in the UK in 2001. Three years later he became a client of Refugee Education and Training Advisory service (RETAS) and enrolled in their Employment Support Programme for Refugee Engineers. Now, he has been able to lay the foundation for finding new employment with invaluable support and a 10 week summer placement and is looking forward to rebuilding his career.

The Hoxton Bibliotech Social Enterprise project enables unemployed people from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds to develop new businesses in east London through a start-up course. Geraldine Philip, a trainee said: "The social Enterprise Start-Up course gave me information that I will be able to use to help my organization to develop in a very positive way in the future. I also learnt new computer skills, which allow me to present my documents with a more professional look." Geraldine has completed a business plan for the Antigua Bends Association Creative Arts Project. She has applied for funding from the National Lottery and she has now managed to open up premises where she can run a series of health and music workshops for local communities.

The London Grid for Learning set up a course to work with young people aged between 13-17 from an ethnic minority background who had been permanently excluded or were at risk from being permanently excluded from school. For many, the course has changed their lives. "I think I have progressed so much since I started at the Pupil Referral Unit…they have made me see there is a point to learning and getting somewhere in life and they make sure that you get the education that is needed. I have changed so much since I have been there. I have grown up and have become more sensible and reliable and now people can trust me."

ESF Programme Manager in the Government Office for London's European Unit, Jim Burns, said "We support the London Development Agency as it uses the European Social Fund to assist those most in need get into the labour market. The projects that will be funded have the potential to change people's lives for the better and provide the skills that London's employers need."

External link

A prospectus, application form and guidance notes are available on the LDA website: www.lda.gov.uk

Training Reference is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

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