I was greatly encouraged, but even more frustrated by the article on last week’s business page – ‘Dock development must not repeat Canary Wharf mistake’.

The part in question being key decision makers recognising that there had been mistakes in the regeneration of Canary Wharf especially in respect of local employment where as the main local people had not been able to access the new jobs created. However, I was even more frustrated by the assumption that the reason for this have been that Canary Wharf created white collar jobs in a blue colour area and local people could not do these

jobs.

What’s more is this traditional view of east London is wrong. Today’s east London is in an area of high aspiration, having talented, skilled and aspiring individuals perfect ably capable of succeeding in white colour jobs as well as those perfectly capable of succeeding in blue colour roles.

The new requesters of the area must offer a balance of new employment opportunities at all levels to local people. If there are structured reasons or skills mis-matched providing access, then need to be recognised and developers need to work with local groups and communities to solve

them.

I fear, that unless todays developers and decision makers recognise now that east London’s future generations will be multi-skilled and able to achieve academically. they will continue to fail future generations of east Londoners as they have done in the past.