The European Commission has approved an application that would see funds made available to assist Austrian's looking for work.

More than €3 million could be set aside from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) and would be targeted at helping lorry drivers find transport jobs.

Austria's application for the money was aimed at aiding those in the Niederosterreich and Oberosterreich regions who have recently been made redundant, with the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers still to vote on the bid.

Commenting on the application, Laszlo Andor, EU commissioner for employment, social affairs and inclusion, explained how the transport sector has been hit hard by the global financial crisis.

"The EGF will make the workers' transition to a new job easier and faster by helping them adapt their skills to the requirements of future jobs," he said.

People who have lost their jobs due to changing global trade patterns are the support target for the EGF, which exists to help those who have been made redundant due to globalization.

Posted by Alex Donnell