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1. The ESF+ shall support the following specific objectives in the policy areas of employment and labour mobility, education, social inclusion, including contributing to poverty eradication, and thereby also contributing to the policy objective ‘a more social and inclusive Europe implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights’ referred to in Article 5, point (d), of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060:

(a) improving access to employment and activation measures for all jobseekers, in particular young people, especially through the implementation of the Youth Guarantee, for long-term unemployed and disadvantaged groups on the labour market, and for inactive people, as well as through the promotion of self-employment and the social economy;

(b) modernising labour market institutions and services to assess and anticipate skills needs and ensure timely and tailor-made assistance and support for labour market matching, transitions and mobility;

(c) promoting a gender-balanced labour market participation, equal working conditions, and a better work-life balance including through access to affordable childcare, and care for dependent persons;

(d) promoting the adaptation of workers, enterprises and entrepreneurs to change, active and healthy ageing and a healthy and well-adapted working environment that addresses health risks;

(e) improving the quality, inclusiveness, effectiveness and labour market relevance of education and training systems including through validation of non-formal and informal learning, to support acquisition of key competences including entrepreneurial and digital skills, and by promoting the introduction of dual-training systems and apprenticeships;

(f) promoting equal access to and completion of quality and inclusive education and training, in particular for disadvantaged groups, from early childhood education and care through general and vocational education and training, to tertiary level, as well as adult education and learning, including facilitating learning mobility for all and accessibility for persons with disabilities;

(g) promoting lifelong learning, in particular flexible upskilling and reskilling opportunities for all taking into account entrepreneurial and digital skills, better anticipating change and new skills requirements based on labour market needs, facilitating career transitions and promoting professional mobility;

(h) fostering active inclusion with a view to promoting equal opportunities, non-discrimination and active participation, and improving employability, in particular for disadvantaged groups;

(i) promoting socio-economic integration of third-country nationals, including migrants;

(j) promoting the socio-economic integration of marginalised communities, such as Roma people;

(k) enhancing equal and timely access to quality, sustainable and affordable services, including services that promote the access to housing and person-centred care including healthcare; modernising social protection systems, including promoting access to social protection, with a particular focus on children and disadvantaged groups; improving accessibility including for persons with disabilities, effectiveness and resilience of healthcare systems and long-term care services;

(l) promoting social integration of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including the most deprived persons and children;

(m) addressing material deprivation through food and/or basic material assistance to the most deprived persons, including children, and providing accompanying measures supporting their social inclusion.

2. Through the actions implemented under the ESF+ strand under shared management to achieve the specific objectives referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the ESF+ shall aim to contribute to the other policy objectives listed in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, in particular the objectives related to:

(a) a smarter Europe through the development of skills for smart specialisation, skills for key enabling technologies, industrial transition, sectorial cooperation on skills and entrepreneurship, the training of researchers, networking activities and partnerships between higher education institutions, vocational and educational training institutions, research and technological centres and enterprises and clusters, and support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and the social economy;

(b) a greener, low carbon Europe through the improvement of education and training systems necessary for the adaptation of skills and qualifications, the upskilling of all, including the labour force, the creation of new jobs in sectors related to the environment, climate, energy, the circular economy and the bioeconomy.

3. Where strictly necessary as a temporary measure to respond to exceptional or unusual circumstances as referred to in Article 20 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, and limited to a period of 18 months, the ESF+ may support:

(a) the financing of short-time work schemes without the requirement that they be combined with active measures;

(b) access to healthcare including for people who are not in imminent socio-economic vulnerability.

4. Where, upon a request submitted by the Member States concerned, the Commission finds that the conditions laid down in paragraph 3 are fulfilled, it shall adopt an implementing decision specifying the period during which the temporary additional support from the ESF+ is authorised.

5. The Commission shall monitor the implementation of paragraph 3 of this Article and assess whether the temporary additional support from ESF+ is sufficient to facilitate the use of support from the ESF+ in response to the exceptional or unusual circumstances. On the basis of its assessment, the Commission shall, where appropriate, make proposals for amendments to this Regulation, including on the thematic concentration requirements set out in Article 7, except the thematic concentration requirement as specified in Article 7(5) and (6).