Olympics to generate £250m for IT sector

Over 5,000 jobs will be created by the London 2012 Olympic Games...

The London 2012 Olympics will create 5,000 jobs in IT and telecoms, generating £250m for the tech sector, according to a report from IT recruiter Greythorn.

About 5,000 jobs are expected to be generated by the Olympics, with IT staff earning an average salary of £48,562, which equates to gross earnings of £250.1m per year for the industry.

The London 2012 Olympics will create 5,000 jobs in cyber security and the creation of IT infrastructureImage: Getty Images

The report's authors predict that the 5,000 new IT jobs will be required not only to support the media coverage of the games themselves but also to support other industries bolstered by the Olympics, including the construction, hospitality and retail sectors.

Paul Winchester, managing director of Greythorn, said there were some key areas in which IT expertise will be required in the lead-up to the games.

"Before the Olympics begin, emergency service lines need to be secured, wi-fi coverage needs to be expanded - including an attempt to get internet access across the Tube network in time for the games - and measures must be taken to prevent cyber attacks."

Earlier this year, Philip Virgo, secretary general of parliamentary industry body the European Information Society Group, said the UK's cyber-security police are currently ill-equipped to deal with the Olympics. The Greythorn report also highlighted the need to improve cyber security at the Olympics as an important generator of jobs.

Greythorn's Winchester noted that the report's figures may actually underestimate the number of permanent IT jobs created by the Olympics.

"Given that five per cent of the UK's 29.12 million-strong workforce work in IT and telecoms, and government forecasts suggest 103,000 permanent jobs will be created by the games, our estimate may be on the conservative side."