What does the experience from the previous Objective 3 programme tell us about equal opportunities?
• In general, women were successfully targeted onto the Objective 3 programme. However, there was evidence that women returners were not being effectively targeted. Qualitative research suggested the existence of barriers which prevented some women from taking part on the programme. The main barriers were lack of childcare and lack of flexibility on projects. As well as preventing some women from joining a project, these barriers can also create problems in them completing their projects. • The evaluation evidence was mixed in terms of labour market outcomes for men and women. Immediately after leaving Objective 3 support, a lower proportion of women than men moved into jobs, yet a higher proportion obtained a positive outcome. This was due to the higher proportion of women moving on to further education or training after Objective 3. However, six months after leaving their projects, women had a higher probability than men of being in work. In line with the wider labour market, women w
