The Olympics provided 420 apprenticeships in a wide variety of area’s such as industrial electricians to quality surveyors
Question: what have all these jobs got in common?
….industrial electricians and plumbers, general operatives/ground workers, landscape labourers, pipe fitters, plant operators, welders, civil engineers, graduate trainees, quality surveyors, administration, catering and cleaning, data entry, document controllers, finance and security officers…..
Answer: all these jobs were essential in the construction of the Olympic Park.
Many of these jobs require special skills and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) created more than 420 apprenticeships on the Olympic Park during the construction programme.
The ODA worked closely with the Park’s contractors to make sure that every apprentice was partnered up with an experienced worker so that they had the best chance of learning the job-specific skills and could complete a vocational qualification.
The right kind of support
The Olympic Park was a huge, busy construction site and extra support was given to the new workers at the Apprenticeship Hub. This was an office that provided a breakout area for apprentices to meet, study, seek advice or just hang out. It was equipped with IT facilities, meeting rooms, and classrooms.
Highlighting Apprenticeships
The ODA promoted an Olympic Construction Skills Showcase event twice a year in the run up to the London 2012 Games. This highlighted the importance of vocational training and the talent of students training in construction and engineering disciplines.
Women in construction
The Women into Construction project aimed to address the specific barriers that prevent women entering the construction industry and to help create a more gender-balanced workforce. It recruited women who are interested in working in the industry and offered support and training.
Check out the employment and skills newsletters to find out the latest facts and figures.
Watch these videos to find out more:
Apprentice electrician Nicola Hayes talks about working at the Athletes’ Village..
