Crossrail's pledge to create lasting skills and employment for Londoners was boosted by the launch of their Skills and Employment Strategy at City Hall.

Up to 14,000 people will be employed at the peak of construction of the railway between 2013 and 2015 giving Londoners the chance to build and benefit from Crossrail.

The Strategy sets out how local people will be provided with opportunities to work on the construction of Crossrail, which is crucial to regeneration across the capital, will help to secure London's position as a world leading financial centre, and cut journey times across the city.

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Crossrail has also announced its partnership with Jobcentre Plus (JCP) which aims to provide local people with opportunities to work on the Crossrail project. JCP works with a network of local job brokerage and outreach agencies to match vacancies to suitable candidates and arrange interviews for short-listed applicants.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "We want Londoners to benefit from this project in everyway and that means giving them the chance to learn the skills and benefit from the jobs created by the scheme. The skills strategy and various training and apprenticeship schemes will help us give young inhabitants of this great city the chance to build and benefit from Crossrail as a lasting legacy."

Crossrail has committed to delivering at least 400 Apprenticeships through its supply chain over the lifetime of the project. All main works contractors will be obliged to deliver one apprentice (or equivalent) per £3 million spend. Apprenticeships will be offered from late 2010 as contracts are awarded. Crossrail is working in partnership with the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) to support contractors employed on Crossrail in delivering apprenticeship programmes.

(CD)