London 2012 Games jobseekers urgently need more support warn Assembly

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A new report has warned that more work urgently needs to be done in order to maximise the number of low-skilled and unemployed Londoners who might get work at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

London 2012 and its contractors are aiming to recruit more than 100,000 people for jobs next year in sectors including catering, cleaning, waste, security, hospitality, tourism and leisure.

They will be joined by up to 70,000 volunteers and the new report, which was produced by the London Assembly's Economy, Culture and Sport (ECS) Committee, highlights four major hurdles that need to be overcome to help those furthest from the jobs market into one of almost 200,000 Games-time roles.

The quartet of key problems identified by the Committee include: uncertainty around future funding for local employment support programmes, uncertainty around the impact of the new Work Programme in London, disincentives in the benefits system and more competition in the labour market due to the effects of the recession.

"With almost 200,000 opportunities up for grabs, the Games could be a fantastic boost for Londoners struggling to find a job, helping them gain valuable experience and get a foothold on the employment ladder," said Len Duvall, chairman of the ECS Committee.

"There are some good examples of voluntary and community-led support schemes operating at a local level, but uncertainty still remains about funding and the introduction of the new work programme.

"Whether paid or voluntary, many people aspire to be a part of the Games and our recommendations set out the key actions needed to capitalise on the opportunity, both for 2012 and beyond."

The report warns that the recession has made the jobs market more competitive and uncertainty over long-term funding for employment support programmes may further widen the gap between those in and out of work.

It is calling on the Mayor Boris Johnson and the Host Boroughs to ensure that the new work programme, which is geared towards getting applicants into long-term jobs, should not overlook short-term Games-time roles, as well as demanding that JobCentre Plus does more to ensure that the benefits system does not discourage recipients from taking on Games-time roles, which may only last up to three months.

At present, applicants can face delays in reclaiming their benefits when short-term jobs come to an end, potentially leaving them out of pocket.

"The Committee wants to ensure that the Games-time opportunities are available to Londoners with few or no skills and those who are long-term unemployed," Duvall added.

There are now calls for the Mayor, Host Boroughs and London 2012 to work closer with the voluntary and community sector to identify vacancies and recruit more workers from the various welfare-to-work schemes.


Source
By Tom Degun
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