Stringent: Locog has insisted it will perform background checks on all security staff Photo: PA
A recent study from a major recruitment website claimed that an average of 23 people were chasing every job in Britain, yet with only 34,000 applying for the Games security positions interest is well below that mark.
But Mark Hamilton, managing director of
"By working as a security officer you will get a license which acts as a
permit to work for another three years and gives you the chance to enter
into the security industry well after the Games."
Employment of British people in London has come under scrutiny in recent
weeks, with Mayor Boris Johnson commenting on the 'Pret a Manger
phenomenon', which sees a relatively low number of British staff employed at
the successful sandwich chain's London branches.
But Hamilton insisted that every effort would be made to find jobs for those
living locally to the Olympic Park, before pointing to the fact that 20,000
Londoners had already applied.
"Our recruitment drive offers unique employment opportunities to
thousands of Britons," he said.
"We're encouraging everyone to apply, particularly [those] around the
host boroughs surrounding the Olympic Park. We already have a high number of
employees deployed around the Park who live in the six boroughs."
Newcomers to the security industry will be trained so they can operate
alongside 13,500 military personnel, 3,000 unpaid volunteers and the police,
to make up a 23,700-strong security force for the Olympics and Paralympics.
The private security officers will carry out a number of duties including bag
and vehicle searching.
- 27/01/2012 19:45 - Locog tries to reassure over ticketing
- 27/01/2012 12:30 - 'Most exciting time in British history'
- 27/01/2012 12:30 - 'Isles of Wonder' opening ceremony
- 27/01/2012 09:15 - Six months to go landmark
- 27/01/2012 08:45 - England believes in mind over matter
- 26/01/2012 00:00 - Watchdog chief resigns over Dow
- 25/01/2012 16:45 - Borders tightened for Games
- 25/01/2012 12:30 - Road race capacity increased
- 25/01/2012 11:00 - West Ham reconsider Olympic Stadium bid
- 25/01/2012 09:30 - Deng's Games place in jeopardy
