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£315m boost for jobs and skills in North East

Department for Work and Pensions Minister James Plaskitt has welcomed a £157 million investment in jobs and skills in the North East. The money from the European Social Fund is to be matched by the government bringing a total of £315 million to the region.

The money will benefit unemployed and disadvantaged people, funding a range of activities to help them into training or employment. These include job-search advice and support, confidence building and basic skills sessions, and vocational qualifications.

The ESF money will also help address regional skills needs in a number of sectors such as chemical and pharmaceutical, automotive, energy, and commercial creative.

John Cuthbert of Skills North East said: “Skills North East brings together a range of partners to perform the important task of ensuring ESF money benefits people and businesses in the region. The ESF Regional Committee has approved plans for spending ESF money, giving the green light for funding rounds to take place in the autumn and projects to start in 2008.”

Nick Brown, Regional Minister for the North East, said: “This announcement is really welcome, the money couldn’t be put to better use. Helping those who need help the most, into work or into a better-paid job will increase the overall prosperity of our region. This is a very important project for the North East.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .