The Olympic Stadium and Aquatics Centre are rising from the ground ahead of schedule, piling work is complete on the first three blocks of the Olympic Village and work is underway on vital infrastructure across the park including the Energy Centre, Substation and roads and bridges. Work is also on track to start on the foundations of the VeloPark and IBC/MPC in spring 2009 as well as the creation of the Games and legacy parklands.
The ‘big build’, one of the biggest and most complex construction projects in Europe, continues to provide a lasting legacy for some of the most deprived areas of east London by providing local and previously unemployed people access to training and jobs on the Olympic Park. The figures also show that the workforce reflects the diversity of the population in the areas around the Olympic Park and London as a whole.
The Olympic Park figures include for the first time nationality details, which employees are required to demonstrate as part of rigorous Olympic Park procedures to ensure their work status and health and safety credentials. The latest Greater London Authority statistics showed that residents of the five Olympic Park host boroughs that were born outside of the UK range from between 22% to 44%.
The latest figures show that of the 3,046 strong workforce currently delivering the progress on the Olympic Park:
The ODA works closely with the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) to ensure people working on the Olympic Park site are legally entitled to do so. The induction process for Olympic Park workers includes on site UKBA representatives meeting workers to check employment status documentation.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: 'We are on track to complete the ‘big build: foundations’ by next summer and construction is set to accelerate into 2009. It is essential we have a well equipped and trained workforce in place to deliver the venues and infrastructure on time and safely. It is also important that we continue to cement a London 2012 employment legacy by ensuring local and previously unemployed people are accessing jobs and training on the Olympic Park which is being created in one of the most diverse communities in the country.'
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'It is the big infrastructure projects that will help see us through the difficult times ahead. It is very encouraging to see that Londoners are really benefiting from the London Games and there are still many jobs still to be created in the run up to 2012. If the rate of Londoners employed on building the Games continues at this level it will make a significant contribution towards sustaining the capital's economy through the downturn and help us build our skilled workforce for when the upturn comes.'
Up to 9,000 construction workers will be needed at the peak of construction on the Olympic Park in 2009/2010. The ODA’s ‘London 2012 Jobs, Skills, Futures’ strategy sets out how it is working with a range of public and private sector partners to help Olympic Park contractors recruit workers whilst at the same time helping people develop sustainable skills and a long term career path after the Games.
The ODA ‘Jobs, Skills, Futures’ strategy includes:
A new jobs brokerage service, in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and the five Host Boroughs, that matches candidates living locally and elsewhere in the UK with Olympic Park job opportunities. Over 250 people have been placed into jobs through the brokerage since May 2008.
A National Skills Academy for Construction, funded by ConstructionSkills, the Learning and Skills Council and the London Development Agency. This coordinates training across a range of providers for people to get the skills needed to win work on the Olympic Park and continue their career development once in work.
As part of this Academy a Plant Training Centre on the Olympic Park site providing local people with practical training tailored to the needs of contractors. 272 people have graduated from the Plant Training Centre since its launch in February 2008.
A target of 2,000 trainees, Apprenticeships and work placements working on the Olympic Park and other London 2012 venues, including a programme aimed at specifically at placing women into construction jobs. There are currently 230 Apprentices and trainees working on the Olympic Park.
Figures for all Olympic Park contractors alongside ODA targets and national averages (as of 31October 2008*)
– Ends –
The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.
Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our blog.
Measure
No.
%
(5 Boroughs) employed in the workforce
employed in the workforce
gaining employment on the site.
*Includes workforce data for the following Olympic Park contractors: Arup; Atkins; Balfour Beatty; EDF; ELYO; London Concrete; McAlpine; Morrison; Murphy; Nuttall; and White Young & Green.
Notes to editors
- The GLA 2006 Annual Population survey (published 2008) found that the percentages of five host borough residents born outside of the UK were: Newham 44%; Tower Hamlets 39%; Hackney residents 37%; Waltham Forest; Greenwich 22%.
- Top 10 nationalities of people working on the Olympic Site, based on data to end of October 2008 are as follows:
Nationality | | |
| British | 1934 | 63% |
| Irish | 229 | 8% |
| Romanian | 227 | 7% |
| Indian | 90 | 3% |
| Polish | 74 | 2% |
| Nepalese | 72 | 2% |
| Lithuanian | 67 | 2% |
| Afghan | 48 | 2% |
| Australian | 35 | 1.1% |
| Ghanaian | 28 | 0.9% |
- Nearly a quarter are local residents (23%)
- Over half are from London (56%)
- Just under one in ten (9%) was previously unemployed before finding work helping deliver the Games and over half (52%) of these workers live locally
- 63% are British and 8% Irish citizens
- 86% are EU citizens and 14% non-EU
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