Speaking at today’s Skills Forum, Councillor Catherine West, Leader of Islington Council and Chair of London Councils’ Transport & Environment Committee, stressed the need to ensure Londoners benefit from the thousands of jobs major infrastructure projects will create over the next few years.
“This Tory-led Government is making it harder for our young people to study and harder to get a job. There are 50,000 more 16-24 year old Londoners out of work compared to three years ago.
If we don’t reverse this trend and help our young people gain the skills and opportunities they need, we are storing up problems for generations. Crossrail, the Thames Tunnel and London 2012 will create thousands of jobs over the next few years. I want to see Londoners benefit from these opportunities and a requirement for contractors to take on apprentices”
Cllr West was speaking at the Skills Forum, jointly hosted by Thames Tunnel and the London Chamber of Commerce.
Crossrail is predicted to create 70,000 jobs over its lifetime, with another 30,000 coming from the London 2012 Games.
