Other support programmes

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In most areas there is a wide range of employment support services and projects you could link into. These may be fully or partly publicly funded by a range of organisations, including the Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus, the Skills Funding Agency, the European Social Fund (ESF), local authorities, the Big Lottery Fund and NESTA.

In most cases, the projects or programmes cater for adults of all ages although there may be some in your area which focus on the 50+ age group. However services for adults of all ages can still be useful in helping to move 50+ jobseekers closer to, or into, work.

There appear to be no databases which map the full extent of the provision available in any particular region or nation in the UK.

European Social Fund projects

Around 80 per cent of the 1,000+ European Social Fund projects in the UK seek to engage with people aged 50+ among other groups.

The projects are delivered by private, public or third sector organisations and are contracted and run regionally. They address one of the two main priorities of the European Social Fund programme:

European Social Fund programme:

Priority 1: Extending employment opportunities: tackling the barriers to work faced by unemployed or disadvantaged people

Priority 2: Developing a skilled and adaptable workforce: training people who do not have the basic skills and qualifications needed in the workplace

There is no central database of European Social Fund projects running in the English regions, Scotland or Wales but if you would like more information contact TAEN or visit the ESF-works website.

The European Social Fund and the over-50s

As part of its own European Social Fund national ‘age management’ technical assistance project, TAEN supports organisations involved in specifying, contracting or delivering European Social Fund projects in England for the 50+ age group

TAEN publishes a monthly e-newsletter 50+ Matters to keep these organisations informed on age and employment issues. It also features case studies and examples of good practice

Multi Generational Families with Multiple Problems Programme: this programme for workless families, which will include family members over -50, will be the focus of the bulk of the European Social Fund provision contracted through the Department of Work and Pensions for the period 2011- to 2013. Projects are expected to be up and running towards the end of 2011 and more information will be available then.

Skills Development Scotland / Careers Wales

These organisations offer careers information and advice to young people and adults.

The National Careers Service

This service was launched on 5 April 2012. The service operates in England and replaces Next Step, which provided careers advice from August 2010..

The new service offers telephone, face-to-face and online career information and advice services. It also offers detailed sector by sector job market information by area and a number of tools. It provides information on funding sources and an online directory of all adult learning and training programmes funded by the Skills Funding Agency in each area.

Lifelong Learning Accounts are available to all adults (aged 19 and over). Account holders have free access to a number of online tools including a skills diagnostic tool, localised course and job searches, a CV builder, an 'eligibility' checker to identify Government funding available to them, and a facility to store all their personal learner information (CVs, skills tests, job and course seaches) in one place which they can share with a careers adviser.

Disclaimer
This site is for help and information only. It is not meant as an authoritative guide. It is not meant as an authoritative statement of the law, and future changes in the law and other programmes and initiatives could make it less accurate at times. TAEN, the Department for Work and Pensions and the European Social Fund take no responsibility for your use of the information. You should always take professional advice on any specific legal or financial matter.

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