October 13 - London 2012 have urged people to consider applying for one of the tens of thousands of job opportunities to work on the Games that are set to become available between now and the Olympic Opening Ceremony on July 27.
By the start of the Games, London 2012 will have a workforce of around 6,000 paid staff, up to 70,000 volunteers and around 100,000 paid contractors.
Thousands of contractor opportunities and around 4,000 roles with London 2012 will become available over the next six months with a large percentage of the roles set to be short-term opportunities starting from April 2012 and lasting the duration of the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games or both.
The London 2012 Ceremonies company will also have around 350 jobs available and will be looking for people to join various teams, from costume to stage management.
"Without the tens of thousands of people working on the London 2012 Games, they simply wouldn't happen," said London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton.
"If someone wants to be able to say that they played a part in making London 2012 a success, then this is their opportunity.
"There is a role out there for everyone and I would urge everyone to keep an eye on our website and start applying for these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities."
Students across Britain will be a key target for the short-term jobs and the Bridging the Gap scheme will provide them with a springboard for future careers, particularly in the security sector.
On completion of the required security qualification, they will be guaranteed an interview for a role at the Games with G4S, the official London 2012 security provider.
The Summer Jobs of a Lifetime website, run by London 2012 official recruitment services provider Adecco, will also be an important recruitment channel for London 2012's contractors and allows students to register their interest in working on the Games.
In addition, a wide variety of new jobs are also being created by London 2012 sponsors, suppliers and other businesses who are seeking additional staff as a result of the Games.
"This is chance for thousands of people to play their part in a little bit of history," said minister for sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson.
"It will be an excellent addition to anyone's CV and a unique opportunity to do something fulfilling, exciting and fun."
To help ensure the widest possible range of people can be involved with London 2012, there will jobs available at all levels which will cater for a wide range of skills and talent.
London 2012 is also committed to ensuring that 15 to 20 per cent of its workforce comes from the six host boroughs and is working closely with job brokerages and Job Centre Plus to ensure as many people as possible in those communities are aware of opportunities with London 2012.
"The London 2012 Games is creating thousands of jobs and the host boroughs are working hard to make sure that local people looking for employment opportunities can access these," added Councillor Chris Roberts, leader of Greenwich Council and lead on employment and skills for the six Host Boroughs.
"For many of the roles you don't need qualifications or previous experience, so it's an opportunity for anyone to be involved.
"The Host Boroughs' jobs brokerage schemes have a unique record of success in placing local people into new jobs.
"They will be working with London 2012 to ensure that their residents benefit from this opportunity and that many of the thousands of roles available are filled by local residents."
Opportunities with contractors will be advertised in job brokerages and Job Centre Plus branches across London and the rest of the UK, while contractor opportunities will also be on the Jobs for the Games website, run by Adecco.
Many London 2012 contractors will also be hiring through their own recruitment channels.
Source: www.insidethegames.biz
By Tom Degun