ESF in the North East

Roker Lighthouse, SunderlandThe European Social Fund in the North East of England supports an area severely affected by the economic downturn. ESF funding in the North East of England has been focused on groups particularly affected, including young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), the over 50s, and those furthest away from the labour market.

The economy of the North East of England was built upon shipbuilding and coalmining, the decline of which resulted in large-scale industrial unemployment in metropolitan areas such as Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Durham and Darlington.

Northumberland and County Durham, both largely rural, base much of their economy on farming and tourism.

Unemployment in the North East of England is high, with families experiencing generational unemployment. The projects below demonstrate how ESF in the North East is working with these target groups:

  • ESF Horizon offered a range of support to participants who are unemployed, who face inequality in the labour market, and who are the hardest to reach.
  • Working Links aims to identify and support disadvantaged unemployed people in the local community and deliver training and support to develop skills and increase employability.
  • ESP Sunderland increased young people's participation in learning through locally defined interventions focusing on provision to support progression into mainstream learning.

Economic growth

The economy of Teeside is largely based on the petrochemical and steel industries, while Sunderland is now becoming an important area for science and information technology (IT).

Selected as a low-carbon economic area, it draws upon industrial and technological strength in areas such as energy and the environment, healthcare, and health science. Design and digital software have also been key enabling industries.

These priorities have been refined into niche areas of expertise, for example electric and low-carbon vehicles, industrial biotechnology, offshore wind and printable electronics.