30,000 workers on 2012 site

UP to 30,000 workers will be needed on the Olympic Park, giving a major short-term boost to the jobs market, Games organisers said today.

The Olympic Delivery Authority said the workforce of 3,315 would increase dramatically this year and would reach a peak of 11,000 next year.

A total of 30,000 people will have worked on the project by 2012, the ODA forecasts. Jobs created this year will include bricklayers, wood workers, electricians, engineers, plumbers and scaffolders, as well as administrators.

One third are from overseas but the ODA stressed nearly two thirds were from the London area.

Olympics chiefs said they would create 250 new apprenticeships on top of an existing 2,000 already planned.