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European funding delivers positive impact
05/01/2009
Almost 300 Scottish projects are benefiting from the first round of the 2007-13 European Structural Funds programme, as a result of decisions by Scottish Ministers to bring forward allocation of European funds.
Around £200 million has already been allocated to support economic development, enhance skills, increase turnover and help create new jobs.
This programme has been front-loaded by the Scottish Government to help deal with the poor economic climate and further decisions will be taken in the near future to accelerate other projects.
The projects include Aberdeenshire Council's North East Work Skills, which secured £280,000 to help 750 workers in the fish and food processing, private care, hospitality and skills industries build their 'core skills' - including numeracy, literacy and problem solving.
John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, said:
"At a time of global uncertainty, the Scottish Government decided to front-load European Structural Funds to provide a direct stimulus to the Scottish economy. We are now seeing the benefits of this, with projects such as North East Work Skills helping to ensure hundreds of workers are gaining the skills needed to succeed in the job market.
"European funding has always provided a major opportunity to help create a wealthier and fairer Scotland, but in the current climate it is all the more important that we use the tools at our disposal - including structural funds - to help stimulate investment and job creation.
"The action we have taken demonstrates that through our economic recovery programme the Scottish Government will do all we can to ensure Scotland's economy is well positioned to take advantage when things begin to improve."
Gordon Scott, North East Work Skills project manager, said:
"We're very pleased that the ESF funding we have secured will allow us to continue that project's good work and extend it to cover Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and the eastern side of Moray Council's area.
"The project is proving to be very popular with local employers, who are keen to provide their workers with the skills that could be key to continued business success and development.
"The skills which workers pick up through taking part in these courses could really help to ensure the sustainability and viability of some North East industries."
European Structural Funds are a significant source of European Union funding for economic development in Scotland. Programmes run over a seven-year period. From 2000-2006 Structural Funds spending provided over £1.1 billion of support for Scotland.
The Scottish Government is front-loading the 2007-13 European Structural Funds programme to provide a direct stimulus to the Scottish economy. In 2008, £100 million was allocated to projects under the European Social Funds programme. At the current exchange rate, this is approximately 40 per cent of the whole programme. A further £100 million has been allocated from the European Regional Development Fund. Within these totals, £55 million has been allocated to Community Planning Partnership employability and regeneration projects over the next two years.
The funding has been approved for almost 300 Structural Funds projects across Scotland. These projects will support economic development, enhance skills, increase turnover and create new jobs - all particularly important in the current economic climate as well as laying the foundation for sustained growth in the future.
Applications from the Autumn 2008 funding rounds are already being assessed and successful projects will be announced by Scottish Ministers in Spring 2009.