Jobs and skills for Londoners

The Mayor wants to use the opportunity presented by London 2012 to achieve a lasting employment and skills legacy for Londoners.

6,000 staff will be working for LOCOG during the Games with a further 100,000 contractor staff working in areas such as catering, retail and security.  And 10,000 of these jobs are expected to be at entry level, suitable for people who were previously out of work. 

Visa Europe have forecast that London 2012 will lead to an increase in consumer spending of £750 million during the 7 week Games time period alone.  The biggest winners?  High street retailers, the hotel sector, entertainment, food and drinks industries and supermarkets.  What does this mean?  That the Games are helping to secure jobs right across our city for Londoners. 

And what about after the Games? 

The regeneration of east London and opening of new transport routes on the London Overground, DLR and with the extension of the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme means that east London will remain open for business even after the Games leave town.

The £1.5 billion investment in Westfield Stratford to build Europe’s largest shopping centre will deliver 10,000 new long-term jobs.  2,000 of these jobs are earmarked for people who have been unable to find work for a long period of time.

And there is increasing interest in the area from international corporates around the world.  Siemens have come in with a major attraction and research investment in the Royal Docks, close to the Olympic Park.

This level of interest and real financial investment in east London is unprecedented, bringing more opportunities for work, and more prosperity for local communities for decades to come.