But while everyone is concerned about who will do the job and ultimately reap the benefits of the most lucrative construction contract in London, Sir Robin Wales, a key figure on the London Olympics committee, has a different take.
He says, “Londoners should be asking not what the 2012 Olympics could do for them but what it could do for their community.”
Local employment
The Olympics will be held in some of the city's most deprived areas and authorities hope it will boost their economy.
They hope the various Olympics-related projects will generate at least 9,000 new jobs and 4,000 new homes in a areas where the unemployment rate touches 11.7 per cent. The national average is 5.1per cent.
For example, the borough of Hackney, where the stadium will be build, has been plagued by gun crime and has one of the highest crime rates in the city. It’s unemployment rate stands at 12.2 per cent.
The government wants to make sure that big construction companies are recruiting locally.
Government employment services in the five Olympics boroughs are also encouraging high-school graduates look for jobs in the exploding construction sector over the next few years.
However, there are allegations that Romanians and Poles are being hired over local labourers because they are will to work for less. In 2004, Mayor Ken Livingston had promised labourers a wage of £7.05 per hour.
Business boom
Green Street in the Borough of Newham, a popular South Asian goods market, is one place that can expect to benefit from the 2012 Olympics.
The area, and its equivalent - Tower Hamlets in Brick Lane are beginning to prosper because of significant private investment. And the Olympics are an opportunity for these areas to grow further.
Sir Robin, mayor of Newham, has told the BBC, “Not only must potential employees equip themselves with the right skills, but businesses
