Construction will need 33,500 extra workers to cope with Olympics workload

[Fiona]

ConstructionSkills has estimated that the 2012 Olympics will create approximately 33,500 additional jobs over the next seven years, with civil engineering and a range of specialist skills in particularly high demand.

The forecast by the Sector Skills Council responsible for recruiting and training the UK’s construction workforce is based on construction work directly attributable to the Games.

It indicates that the number of workers needed to complete Olympic construction projects will peak at around 7,500 in 2010 and includes a range of specialist skilled workers who will be required to build the complex mix of stadia, infrastructure and residential developments.

The forecast of 33,500 broadly breaks down as 6,500 managerial or administrative roles, 2,800 professionals such as architects and surveyors, and 24,000 trade or craft roles.

Sheila Hoile, Skills Strategy Director at CITB-ConstructionSkills, said: “We believe that this analysis is the most accurate and realistic forecast available at this stage of planning.

"Building the Olympics needs to be seen in the wider context of the current massive demand on the UK construction industry.

"In the wider South East and Greater London alone there is £34bn worth of projects of over £100m each in the pipeline. This is in addition to the existing Greater London construction industry with an annual value of approximately £12bn. So the Olympics represents a huge construction programme with the work involved accounting for nearly 10% of the total picture in these regions.

“With major projects currently on site such as Heathrow Terminal 5, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and Wembley, Britain is well-equipped for the task ahead. However, the years 2008-2010 are critical for London, with the number of workers on site at any one time in the South East area expected to peak in 2010. Good workflow management and effective leadership are vital to long-term success,” she said.

The Olympic skills figures are the first to be produced by the Construction Skills Network, a new cross-industry alliance developed by ConstructionSkills to revolutionise construction recruitment and training. The Network will provide the industry’s most comprehensive model for forecasting capacity, productivity and skills across the construction industry, and to plan for the impact of future trends on the construction workforce.

ConstructionSkills is also unveiling a dedicated team to help ensure that the construction programme to build world-leading facilities and infrastructure for the Olympic Games is delivered safely, on time and on budget, to leave a lasting legacy for London.

Working as part of the Strategic Forum Olympic Task Group, the Constructing London 2012 team will work with partners to recruit and train local people, to ensure that constructing the Olympics provides sustainable skills and job opportunities for the residents of East London.

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