THE starting pistol will be fired today to launch a recruitment drive ahead of the London 2012 Olympics – boosting hopes of employment for thousands of people in East Anglia.

With unemployment already rising, and more workers likely to be made redundant in the coming months as cuts in public spending start to bite, the East London location of the main Olympic venues represents a major opportunity for people in Suffolk and north Essex.

Although most of them will be temporary, the tens of thousands of jobs expected to be generated by the Olympic and Paralympic games during the summer of 2012 could be a particularly important opportunity for young people seeking their first rung on the employment ladder.

The London Organising Committee (LOCOG) says that “staffing up” by London 2012 sponsors, suppliers and other businesses is expected to create a wide range of jobs.

Opportunities are likely to range from sectors such as catering, cleaning, security and administrative support to media, hospitality, tourism, sport, leisure and customer services. Some professional and technical posts will also be available.

Pre-registration is being launched today for jobs which will be advertised on a dedicated website, www.jobsforthegames.co.uk, which is being run by Adecco, the official recruitment services provider for the games.

Although the first jobs will not appear on the site until next month, would-be applicants are being encouraged to pre-register now. They will then be alerted as soon as relevant jobs become available on the site.

Adam Baker, Suffolk project manager for the 2012 games, said: “With our proximity to Stratford and the Olympic Park, the thousands of new jobs that are predicted to be created by the games provide a very real opportunity for Suffolk residents.

“I would advise people to get on their marks and pre-register their interest as soon as possible.”

Tina Dopson, the councillor responsible for the 2012 Games in Colchester, said: “In Colchester particularly we have seen a rise in unemployment for 18- to 24-year-olds and many of these jobs would be ideally suited for that age range.

“Although these jobs are only temporary they can be an extremely valuable way of giving people experience in many different areas of work and getting them in the jobs market.”

She added: “I would certainly encourage anyone in Colchester and across Essex who is interested in working at the games to sign up now. In this economic climate it’s important to take advantage of any employment opportunities that are available and in Colchester we are only 50 minutes away from the venue by train.”