The European Social Fund
For more than 60 years now, the European Social Fund (ESF) has been investing in better opportunities in the labour market and is the most important financial instrument of the European Union for investing in people.
The ESF+ and JTF programme for employment in Austria 2021 - 2027
The European Social Fund Plus (formerly the European Social Fund) supports measures to prevent and combat unemployment and to expand educational opportunities. The overarching goal is to enable all people to participate equally in the labour market.
The ESF+ complements Austrian employment policy with a focus on particularly disadvantaged groups and/or those underrepresented in conventional funding programmes.
The Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a new instrument launched by the European Commission as part of the European Green Deal. The JTF aims to harmonise the path to climate neutrality with social justice.
In Austria, the fund is implemented as a separate priority in the programmes of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the ESF+, but only in certain regions that are particularly affected by the impact of the greening of the economy.
In total € 452,610,189.00 of EU funds are therefore available to the ESF+ Employment and JTF programme in the 2021-2027 funding period.
Of this amount
- € 392,871,711 to the ESF+ (European Social Fund Plus) and
- € 59,738,478 to the JTF (Just Transition Fund)
This programme has the following main focuses:
The compatibility and equality of women and men in the labour market
The ESF+ in Austria Austria uses innovative approaches in order to promote the careers of women, the compatibility of work and private lives as well as the principle of equal pay for the same work. ESF-financed projects address women who wish to obtain higher qualifications, and also companies. In the latter, intensive consulting creates new structures and organisational changes which facilitate the equality of women and men. In addition, initiatives are being developed to break down gender stereotypes.
Active and healthy ageing
Demographic changes are leading to challenges for the labour market and companies. The ESF+ is investing in a counselling service for companies to maintain the ability of older employees to work and to sustainably strengthen employment opportunities. Digitalisation is an important lever for enabling life-phase-oriented work and creating age-independent jobs.
Scientific monitoring of the programme and additional awareness-raising measures support the goal of creating an age-appropriate working environment.
Combating poverty and promoting active inclusion
Combating poverty is an important objective of the ESF+ in Austria. People who are on the margins of the labour market and who ability to work and employability are low are at particular risk of poverty. The ESF+ therefore finances projects which contribute towards equal opportunities and active participation in the labour market. This includes counselling and support to develop career prospects as well as training and employment opportunities. In addition, the ESF+ supports the sustainable active inclusion of people with disabilities in the mainstream labour market with offers for finding and providing individual support in training and work.
Avoiding premature school leaving, promoting education
Young people who are at risk of leaving school early or breaking off training are one of the primary targets of the ESF+ in Austria. For this reason, investments are made in measures which facilitate the transition from school to working life. for examplespecial learning programmes are created which support pupils. In addition to this, In addition, young people with disabilities or assistance needs are introduced to the labour market and supported through a differentiated range of services such as "AusbildungsFit".
Equal access to lifelong learning, improving the skills and qualifications of workers
Lifelong learning programmes enable people to obtain an educational qualification which they missed out on earlier, and to enhance their level of skills. Persons who are disadvantaged in terms of education in particular can be reached with innovative and low-threshold approaches, and receive support in obtaining additional abilities and competences. In addition, ESF funding also increases the professionality of advice programmes in the field of adult education.
Social innovation
In the ESF+ Austria, social innovation is understood as a concept for overcoming social challenges and strengthening social cohesion based on partnerships between public authorities, the private sector and civil society. With a specific focus in the programme, a space is created to shape the promotion of lifelong learning and active inclusion with innovative approaches. The national competence centre for social innovation (Social Innovation Plus) acts as a central point of contact for social innovators in Austria within the framework of the European Social Fund Plus.
Just Transition Fund (JTF)
Targeted projects of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) help regions that are particularly challenged by the transition to a greener economy. In Austria, these are regions in Lower Austria, Carinthia, Upper Austria and Styria. JTF projects under the ESF+ programme promote further training and the creation of green jobs in order to support a fair and inclusive path to climate neutrality.