The new Apprenticeship Hub will provide guidance, career support, courses, IT and study space. The Hub will also help ensure that apprentices are able to continue their training or employment on future projects once they have completed their work on the Olympic Park.

ODA Chairman John Armitt said:

'We are on track to deliver an Olympic Park with fantastic sports venues, parklands and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games and a powerful legacy to help regenerate east London. The Olympic Park is also providing business, employment and training opportunities in a difficult time for the economy and construction industry.

'We are committed to leaving a jobs and skills legacy that uses the Games as a catalyst to create long term career opportunities for local and young people. We have set a tough target for Apprenticeships and are working hard with our contractors to reach it.'

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said:

'The Apprenticeship Hub will allow people to develop all-round skills which complement their onsite learning and expand their CV. With the number of apprentices working on the Olympic Park and Village sites growing from 27 in January to 120 in November, the apprenticeships programme is helping to create a legacy of skilled workers who are able to adapt to a variety of roles within the workplace.'

In January the ODA agreed to work with its contractors to create an additional 250 apprenticeship opportunities, stretching the 2,000 target for trainees and apprentices across the Olympic Park and Village to 2,250. This is being underpinned by a contractual requirement on new contractors to deliver 3% of their workforce as apprentices. The 250 will be new apprenticeships initiated within the Olympics construction programme on top of the 100 projected within the existing 2000 target.

The total of 350 apprentices would represent 3% of the total Olympic Park contractor workforce at peak and is over three times the industry norm for the South East 1% and is above the average for England (2.5%).

As the Olympic Park development is a project with a short life span and the ODA is working with contractors, training bodies and upcoming major projects to help ensure that apprentices are able to complete the training they have started on the Olympic Park.

Olympic Park Apprentices

Eugene Oppong-Kwarteng lives in Newham and is a heat and ventilation engineering Apprentice working on the Olympic Stadium. Eugene was working part-time in a department store while completing the BTEC qualification that enabled him to gain a placement on the Olympic Park, he said he feels ‘inspired’ when he meets managers who have been through Apprenticeships themselves and that: 'The course is really good, it is giving me the chance to learn the trade and I also find the theory really interesting.'

Nicola Zeni lives in Barnet and is working as an electrical Apprentice on the Olympic Stadium and studying at North West London College. She said: 'I’m looking to pass my course, gain great experience on the Olympic Park and work my way up the ladder. Apprenticeships are a good way to learn from those who know and are actually doing the job, rather than from teachers. I’m really keen on sport, so working on this project is great. Everyone here knows what a great thing they’re working on and the Olympics Park site has all the best people.'

Jake Vinnicombe lives in Tower Hamlets and achieved a position as a heat and ventilation engineering Apprentice working on the Olympic Stadium after completing a BTEC. Jake, who can see the Olympic Park from his flat, said: 'My friends are jealous that I have the opportunity to work on the site. It’s the biggest site I’ve ever seen and I’m looking forward to learning more.'

Notes to Editors:

1.      Images of the Olympics Minister opening the Olympic Park Apprenticeship Hub are available for download at: http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr130329861
 
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