History
The European Social Fund was created in the founding Treaty of Rome in 1957; it is the oldest of the Structural Funds. While the ESF has always taken higher employment as its objective, it has adapted its focus over the years to meet the challenges of the time. In the early post-war years, it concentrated on managing the migration of workers within Europe. Later it moved on to combating unemployment among the young and poorly qualified.
In the current funding period, 2007–2013, as well as targeting support at those with particular difficulties in finding work, such as women, young people, older workers, migrants and people with disabilities, ESF funding is also helping businesses and workers adapt to change. It does this by supporting innovation in the workplace, lifelong learning and the mobility of workers.
Read more about this topic: European Social Fund
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—William James (1842–1910)
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