A NEW £7million Construction Training Centre, which was supposed to help students get jobs on the Olympic site, has finally opened in Leytonstone.

It is being run by the National Construction College and aims to help provide skills to thousands of residents in the borough.

The centre, in Cathall Road, was criticised earlier this year as a "missed opportunity" after a six-month delay to the project meant there would not be enough time for it to help train local people to work on the 2012 Games site.

But the council denied the claims and said it was never meant to just provide construction workers for the Olympic venues.

The centre was opened earlier this week by local politicians including council leader Cllr Chris Robbins and Leyton and Wanstead MP John Cryer.

It will provide courses in skills such as roofing, flooring, steel fixing, working at heights and general construction.

It has already been providing training courses in dry lining and scaffolding since November and from January will be offering more than 100 apprenticeships a year in construction skills.

Cllr Robbins, said: “This is a fantastic, world-class training facility for local residents and people from across east London which will play a vital role in helping us benefit from the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games."

Call the National Construction College on 0844 844 0466 for more information.

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