Thousands of Londoners 'already benefiting' from 2012 Olympics » Communities » 24dash.com

Thousands of Londoners are already benefiting from the 2012 Olympic Games coming to the capital through support from the London Development Agency.

These achievements are summarised in "Employment and Skills Update for 2012" - looking at the progress made over the past 18 months to secure new jobs, training, business and sporting opportunities for Londoners.

With several major construction projects underway or imminent, the Games are already opening up opportunities for Londoners who have been out of work.

These opportunities will continue right through to 2012 and beyond as the regeneration of east London is built around the Games.

Peter Rogers, Chief Executive of the LDA, said: "The LDA is dedicated to creating a lasting Olympic legacy which will improve the quality of life for Londoners and economic growth in the capital.

"Our programmes have been focused on ensuring as many people as possible are in a position to benefit from the employment, business and sporting opportunities linked to the 2012 Games. We are delivering a legacy now for London."

The achievements so far include:

• The Opportunities Fund which helped more than 1,100 people to receive employment support and delivered almost 800 training places.
• Personal Best volunteer programme has benefited almost 900 people so far. Out of the 380 people that have finished phase one, 19% are in employment, 40% are in further education and 21% have since participated in volunteering.
• Winter of Sport enabled nearly 3,000 people to become more active through 56 new after school clubs and 25 disability sports projects.
• London Employer Accord which has helped 300 previously unemployed people find work.
• Around 2,400 people from the East London host boroughs have received assistance in finding employment, with 470 of these going on to secure work as a direct result of this support.
• CompeteFor which now has 9,000 suppliers registered from London after the LDA developed the award winning service for businesses to bid for Olympic contracts. The service is now being used nationwide and has advertised 200 contracts since it was launched earlier this year.

For more information about the LDA's Olympic legacy work visit www.legacy-now.co.uk or www.lda.gov.uk

A copy of the Employment and Skills Update for 2012 is available at http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.2503.