The present study explores the relationship between the ‘knowledge-enabling environment’ and the demand for training using a sample of 18 small private companies providing educational and consultancy services in Sweden. In this way, the dissertation is an exploration of the ways Swedish knowledge-intensive companies manage their knowledge. The 18 companies have participated in a European program for developing employee competence, financed by the European Social Fund. As part of this European-financed program companies have evaluated their business activity and determined their training needs in order to remain competitive. The 18 companies, thus, provide a rare opportunity to explore aspects of the demand for training in small enterprises. Knowledge is understood here as both the structure and the content of mental schemas. It is embodied in individuals; it differs from information and data; and it can be tacit or explicit. When looking at organizational processes for managing knowledge, it is important to consider formal organized activities for learning, but also informal learning activities, which constitute the main source for tacit knowledge as well as the conditions in place for knowledge creation, what is here called the ‘knowledge-enabling environment’. It is argued that through knowledge management, companies are indeed implementing strategies for the promotion of lifelong learning. Each company in the sample is rather unique in their ‘knowledge-enabling environment’. The exploration of the demand for training shows that the selected companies invest only less than half their perceived training needs. In both sectors the working-environment characteristics that according to the theories reviewed, should promote learning, do not necessarily foster a higher demand for learning, with the exception of information technology. Finally, Also interesting is that employees demand more training if their engagement in informal learning is low.

The aim of the thesis was to analyze current adult education opportunities funded by The European Social Fund, evaluate benefits of this type of education in therms of unemployment. I compared opportunities of adul education in programming period 2004 - 2006 and programming period 2007 - 2013 and suggested some points to improve implementation of projects funded by The European Social Fund.

The biggest problem of any market is its imbalance; such an imbalance in the labour market is called unemployment. The aim of my dissertation is to analyse the labour market in Tábor region, i.e. to assess job opportunities and employment and/or unemployment development and to propose possible solutions resulting in an unemployment decrease. Controlled interviews with the staff of the Tábor Labour Office, the Internet, the Czech Statistical Office information, specialized literature, regulations and laws and annual reports on the situation in the labour market in Tábor were the main information sources for my dissertation. My dissertation contributes to the situation with recommendations regarding an improvement of the labour market in Tábor region, which are based on the data established in my dissertation.

This thesis is focused on the European Social Fund (ESF) and on the administration of this fund in the Czech Republic. The European Social Fund is one of two structural funds which act as financial resources for co-financing, in conjunction with national and private resources, activities that reduce economic disparities between regions. Resources from structural funds allocated to the Czech Republic are, by their character, classified and administered in accordance with particular Operational Programmes, which stem from a national strategic reference framework. Standard documents, approved by the European Commission, always accompany a programme period. In the thesis apriori are described and the administration procedures of selected Operational Programmes financed by the European Social Fund, are collated. Some problems that occurred during the first programme period from 2004-2006 are then highlighted.

This thesis deals with the efficiency of the measures, which are implemented within the projects supported by the European Social Fund and are aimed at the endangered groups of parents (mostly women) on the labour market. The theoretical part introduces the concept of labour market segmentation, theory of human and social capital and finally outlines labour market policies within the framework of the EU and the Czech Republic. Empirical research uses techniques of interviews and a questionnaire in order to evaluate the implementation of the measures and targeting of the funds towards the needs of this specific group of women which is under a long term threat on the labour market. The contribution of this thesis is primarily in a detailed study on the efficiency of the system of subsidies in one part of the support from the ESF from the perspective of non-profit organizations. Key words: Labour market, European Social Fund, evaluation, non-profit organizations, Prague

This diploma thesis is focused on analysis of projects applied in the Human Resource Development Operational Programme. Opening chapter of theoretical framework deals with the European Union Funds and especially the European Social Fund in general way. Later in this framework, there is also closely described the Human Recourses Development Operational Programme and its goals, priorities, measures, implementation and financial principles. Main attention is concentrated on characteristic and description of the Measure 3.1: Enhancing the Quality of Education at Schools and School Facilities and Developing Support Systems for Education, which is actually subject of my analysis. Essential in this work is evaluation of successness of applied projects in aspects of particular calls, regions, evaluation phase, eligible subjects, size of budget, etc. The goal of this diploma thesis is the analysis and evaluation of the process of applying projects in 2004-2006 in the measure mentioned above and also to find out if realized projects met the measure aims.

In the following dissertation I discuss the issue of European social resource as a main financial way for developing sphere of human resources. In this work is described the Operational Programme of Development of human resources (OP RLZ) that was realized in Czech republic in the year 2004-2006. In this Operational programme is this precedence:1: Interactive management of the employment. The next dissertation's part is focused to grant and national projects that were realized within the scope of this precedence at Středočeský district(county). Sequentially I indicate the realization of Interacive management of the employment at Kladno region. This region has specific position at Středočeský district because of the transformation of its economy in the 90th of last century that was influented by this changes so much (a bankrupt of Poldi Kladno factory, therefrom releasing of working forces and in the present high level of commute to capital). The emphasis of my dissertation is the evaluation of a realized projects that relate with precedence 1: Interacive management of the employment OP RLZ in Kladno region. An attention paid to: Efectivity of interactive management of the employment and its realization. Summary of advantage and disadvantage of realized projects. In terms of obtained informations are defined the recomendationes which should contribute to increasing done activities and its efectivity.

Is the significant role of the structural funds in the EU budget appropriate? The main goal of the thesis is to analyze the role and potential of the EU structural funds with a special focus on their use since the beginning of the economic integration of the EU until today and to answer the question raised. The thesis consists of five chapters. The first chapter describes the historical evolution of the structural funds in three phases in parallel with the deeper integration and extension of the EU. The second chapter is focused on the analyses of economic aspects of the structural funds. Research on possible improvements of the structural funds is presented in chapter three. Chapter four compares the structural funds management between France and Czech Republic. Chapter five provides insights into the upcoming 2014-2020 programming period. Based on the outcomes of the past evolution of the structural funds, empirical experience of their usage in France and Czech Republic and in the context of the current financial crisis and rising euroscepticism, we predict the future evaluation and priority of the structural funds in the process of European integration

Unemployment has begun to be considered as a European problem since the early nineties, when a coordination of activities in the social field at the EU-level has also gradually started. Since that time, spending on the social policy from the EU budget has been constantly rising, but, as shown in this thesis, the situation on the European labour market has not been significantly improved. This is illustrated also by the fact that any from the EU employment targets from the Lisbon strategy has not been until now met. The most important instrument of the EU-Employment policy is the European Social Fund (ESF). Because its expenditures on the Czech Employment policy are constantly increasing, it is necessary to ask whether it improves a condition of a labour market. Moreover, if nowadays contributions from the ESF represent the majority of expenditure on the Czech active labour market policy (ALMP) carried out by particular labour offices. Analytic part of this thesis focuses on the evaluation of the ALMP, which is financed from the Czech state budget as well as from the ESF and which is implemented by the particular labour office - in the region of Nachod. According to a similar analyses, programmes of a subsidised employment shows the highest effectiveness also in the district of Nachod, while direct job creation schemes and retraining courses contribute to reducing unemployment only to a limited extent.

The ambition of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive view on the creation and implementation of goals and priorities of employment policy in the European Union. The author analyzes the policy from three perspectives- the EU, national and local. The first chapter discusses the historical and current development of EU employment policy guidelines through analysis of key documents and strategies for the employment policies. The following chapter focuses on the implementation of defined priorities and targets at national level, focusing on the activities of the European Social Fund in the Czech Republic. The final chapter shows concrete measures for promoting employment and improving employability of selected target group through key project activities, using an elaborated project plan. The aim of this thesis is to answer the questions of how the EU employment policy objectives has been transformed over time and how successful implementations of these priorities into everyday practice policies of the Member States has been. And last but not least, what is the current state of implementation of the ESF priorities set in the Czech Republic, in the context of the grant projects realization for the period 2007-2013.