Over 1,500 local people now have jobs at Elephant Park, a £2.3bn regeneration project taking shape in south London. The figure was announced by Lendlease, the Australian property and infrastructure business, which is delivering the landmark project in partnership with Southwark Council.
Around 3,000 new homes as well as new restaurants, shops and a new park are being delivered at the 28-acre development. Lendlease confirmed it had reached the milestone jobs figure as the Office for National Statistics also announced its latest employment figures for the UK.
The milestone figure at Elephant Park contributes towards Southwark Council’s aim of becoming a full employment borough, where everybody has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Lendlease and Southwark council jointly established a Construction Skills Centre at Elephant Park three years ago, which has played a major part in helping local residents secure jobs on the development and provides construction skills training to over 2,000 people every year.
Having the Centre at Elephant Park allows the students to train in the heart of a major regeneration site and gain practical, first-hand experience of the industry. The project has also provided the opportunity for hundreds of previously unemployed local residents to gain employment at Elephant Park through BeOnsite, Lendlease’s award-winning not-for-profit organisation.
BeOnsite provides in-house expertise and a proven vehicle for the direct delivery of social impact employment programmes that support people who face the greatest barriers in accessing employment. To date, BeOnsite has employed 329 local residents, leading positive change in each person and helping them achieve their potential.
Kristy Lansdown, Project Director of Elephant Park for Lendlease, said:
“We are constantly striving to ensure Elephant Park makes a positive impact on the local community. One of the ways we do this is by creating jobs for local people, and we greatly value their contribution to the project. Employing over 1,500 local people is a significant milestone for the project, and we look forward to that number increasing as work at Elephant Park continues to progress.”
Cllr Stephanie Cryan, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Business and Innovation at Southwark Council, said:
“It is fantastic that our construction skills centre project has supported so many local people to find work and develop their skills to make the most of the development work available on their doorstep – or across London. Our commitment to becoming a full employment borough is about not only making sure people are in work but that they have the right skills and opportunities to grow and develop their careers and the skills centre has been a definite boon for local people interested in the construction industry.”