Rationale and Background
By involving key stakeholders in shaping, developing and implementing appropriate strategies to solve local problems, local regeneration and development strategies can support the development of active and dynamic communities capable not only of assessing their own needs, but also of developing the capacity to deal with those needs through the delivery of a range of interventions designed to break the cycle of state dependency and exclusion.
This Measure will provide the ESF support to locally-based regeneration and development strategies. This directly reflects the findings of the labour market analysis which illustrated a considerable degree of local variation in labour market conditions throughout the region.
The Measure will cover the ESF Policy Fields ‘equal opportunities for all in accessing the labour market’ and ‘adaptability and entrepreneurship’. Notwithstanding the special character of this Measure, all activities will be carried out within the general ESF monitoring and evaluation framework.
To develop a range of actions at local level which will ensure that the training and development needs of the local community are met. This will specifically include the development of training interventions tailored to meet the needs of the most socially excluded who through lack of qualifications and competencies have been unable to access the labour market. It will also ensure that the training needs of local businesses, the enterprise and social economy sectors are catered for. An associated objective of this Priority is to significantly increase women's participation in training, employment and social development activities. This will underpin the objectives of the European Employment Strategy, in particular Employment Guidelines 8, 12 and 18.
As this Measure will be delivered on a local basis, emphasis will be given to those actions which address in an integrated way the human resource development needs of communities. The Measure will support a wide range of eligible actions which cover two ESF policy fields, ‘Equal Opportunities for all in accessing the labour market’ and ‘Adaptability and Entrepreneurship’. It will also support specific training and development initiatives relevant to sectors that are significant to the economy and labour market of local areas. Other actions could include for example: capacity building and community leadership programmes; training for SMEs and entrepreneurs; and support for women, especially those returning to the labour market.
The Measure should contain provision for the establishment of integrated human resource development plans for local areas, especially for those areas covered by combinations of local authorities or community development associations or other Local Strategy Partnerships. Recognition should be given to the fact that disadvantaged areas are at various stages of the economic regeneration process and as a consequence will demand different responses.
The types of actions undertaken will be decided upon by the Local Strategy Partnerships in their locally-based regeneration and development strategies but It is envisaged that examples of actions which might be taken include:
The potential for new employment opportunities offered by the Information Society should be recognised by integrating ICT skills into the context and delivery of projects. Where appropriate, steps should be taken to highlight the need to protect and improve the environment.
