Olympic Boroughs To Miss Out On 2012 Olympics Jobs
By Alison White
Preparing for and running the 2012 will create many
jobs over the next seven years.
But the promised jobs boom from the 2012 Olympics for the five Olympic boroughs might fail to materialize. Thousands of new jobs and training opportunities have been promised through the regeneration of east London, but local people could miss out on the benefits.
A quarter of people of working age in the neighbouring boroughs of Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest have no qualifications, while over 60% are unemployed.
Recommendations include more training to target the construction skills gap and a dedicated language academy to improve potential workers' proficiency in English.
London's mayor, Ken Livingstone, has announced an £11m package to provide training and jobs ahead of the Games.
The programme will fund skills training, employment advice and work placements with organisations such as Centrepoint and the Prince's Trust.
Mayor Ken Livingstone said helping disadvantaged communities was a key aim of the scheme.
Up to 50,000 new jobs in the Lower Lea Valley have been promised by the London Employment and Skills Taskforce and the LDA.
It’s estimated that preparations for the Olympics will create 150,000 jobs over the next seven years; 12,000 permanent jobs will be needed to service the Olympic Park and its legacy afterwards. Employers will be encouraged to employ and train local people where possible. Unions and the government are also keen for the created jobs
