A £400m jobs programme will help put the Northern Ireland economy back on track, according to the Employment Minister.
Dr Stephen Farry was speaking at the launch of the consultation on the draft European Social fund (ESF) Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme for Northern Ireland 2014-2020. He continued: “The consultation document being launched today sets out the key activities my Department proposes to support through the ESF Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme.
“The total financial assistance that will be made available to support activities under the programme has still to be finally agreed, but is likely to be in the region of £400 million including £160million from the ESF and a further £240 million from a variety of match funding sources. “The programme seeks to deliver on the objectives of EU 2020 – the European Union’s 10-year strategy for putting Europe’s economy back on the path to growth.
In so doing, it supports the Executive’s Programme for Government objectives of ‘Growing a sustainable economy and investing in the Future’ and ‘Creating opportunities, tackling disadvantage and improving health and well-being’. “I am keen to maximise the impact of the fund in the current challenging economic environment.
If Northern Ireland is to compete in the global market, there must be a concerted effort to drive up skills on all fronts, and the European Social Fund can help us achieve that.”
The Minister encouraged all interested parties to put forward their views on the proposals for the new Programme, saying: “I would strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to read the consultation document and comment on the proposals.
“Feedback gathered during the consultation period will influence the final shape of the new ESF programme and ensure it will take a direction which is appropriate for this region, within the framework of European policies and regulations.”
The consultation on the ESF Programme forms part of a wider consultation exercise on three draft EU Programmes for 2014-2020, which also includes proposals for the European Rural Development Fund (ERDF) Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme, and the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) Rural Development Fund. The consultation document is available from http://www.delni.gov.uk/growth-jobs-investment