A new 'Apprentice Hub' has opened to support the 120 apprentices currently working for the contractors delivering the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Located on the Olympic Park, the Hub will provide guidance, career support, courses, IT and study space.

It will also help ensure that apprentices can continue their training or employment on future projects once they have completed their work on the Olympic Park.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell and Minister for Employment Relations Lord Young officially opened the Hub.

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has been working with contractors, colleges and training organisations to boost the number of apprentices working on the Park. In January, it increased its apprenticeship target from 100 to 350, three times the average for the south east.

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ODA Chairman John Armitt said: "We are committed to leaving a jobs and skills legacy that uses the Games as a catalyst to create long-term career opportunities for local and young people. We have set a tough target for apprenticeships and are working hard with our contractors to reach it."

Ms Jowell said: "The Apprenticeship Hub will allow people to develop all-round skills which complement their onsite learning and expand their CV. With the number of apprentices working on the Olympic Park and Village sites growing from 27 in January to 120 in November, the apprenticeships programme is helping to create a legacy of skilled workers who are able to adapt to a variety of roles within the workplace."

In January the ODA agreed to work with its contractors to create an additional 250 apprenticeship opportunities, stretching the 2,000 target for trainees and apprentices across the Olympic Park and Village to 2,250.

This is being underpinned by a contractual requirement on new contractors to deliver 3% of their workforce as apprentices. The 250 will be new apprenticeships initiated within the Olympics construction programme on top of the 100 projected within the existing 2000 target.

(CD/BMcc)