Construction jobs do not necessarily result from single large constructions projects. Back in July 2005 most of the nation felt great joy when IOC president Jacques Rogge announced that London had won the race to host the 2012 Olympic Games. It was as if the country had beaten France in a World Cup Final such was the elation, and yet few could have imagined then what a blessing to the construction industry this victory would be four years later.

Nobody could foresee the incredibly hard times felt within the construction industry, with the resultant decline in construction jobs, as Britain along with many other countries fell in to recession in 2008 and beyond. So it is encouraging to see that the Olympic Games workforce has reached 7,000 and will rise to complete the ?8 billion construction project.

Many dissenting voices claimed in 2005 that the Games will be an expensive exercise with little benefit to the country, especially for those living outside London. In a time of recession some still maintain that we cannot afford to host the Olympics, but the boost to construction jobs should not be under estimated.

Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) chairman John Armitt said: ?The big build of the Olympic Park and Village is on track and providing vital employment, training and business opportunities in London and across the UK.??? It is not just construction jobs in London that have been created through the project, as other professions across the UK have benefitted with parts of the Aquatics Centre developed in Wales for example.

In January of this year the ODA claimed that up to 30,000 workers would help build the park over various phases of the project. This could peak at 11,000 in 2010, which would be a welcome boost to the industry over the next 12 months.