Jobs

Canada Water Connect

At Canada Water Connect, our aim is to connect local people to the opportunities being created by the Canada Water Masterplan.

Canada Water Connect was established in 2022 between British Land, the developer of the Canada Water Masterplan, and ELBA’s, an organisation with 30 years’ experience in enabling successful partnerships between business and the community.

The Canada Water Masterplan will create a new town centre with new homes, offices, public spaces, facilities, shops, restaurants, and jobs.

We are partnering with local residents, schools, business, charities and other organisations to ensure that local people can access the opportunities coming forward.

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Over a thousand construction jobs

The Canada Water Masterplan is one of London’s biggest and most exciting development projects in a generation, spanning 53 acres. We expect over a thousand construction jobs, including apprenticeships, to be created by the Masterplan, and anticipate around 20,000 people working within the development once completed.

Meaningful, sustained employment

There will be jobs available at various levels in many sectors, including construction, retail, hospitality, leisure, estate management, and with the many businesses that will be located here in Canada Water. We are working with a number of referral partners including Southwark Works, Construction Youth Trust, the Southwark Construction Skills Centre and many others, to get local people into meaningful, sustained employment.

Finding the right people for the right jobs

With the construction of the first phase of the masterplan underway, we are currently looking for dry liners, bricklayers, plumbers, electricians and more. In addition to finding the right people for the right jobs, Canada Water Connect offers a range of employment initiatives including CV support, mentorship, career insights and more.

Riette's story

"My fantastic now-supervisor gave me a chance".

Riette, a former set designer who had seen her career grind to a halt because of the pandemic, switched to a new industry to work on the Canada Water development. With help from Canada Water Connect, she pursued her interest in plumbing and was hired by McAleer and Rushe, contractors on Plot K1 on Roberts Close.

After Employment & Skills Manager Ian Walker helped her with the application and interview process, she worked towards an NVQ qualification in Plumbing while installing bathrooms on site.

Riette says: "I felt stuck, as I didn't think anyone would take me on, but then I met Ian at Canada Water Connect, who got me an interview with HTC Mechanical. My fantastic now-supervisor Emmett gave me a chance and I'm working really hard to justify the faith he put in me."

Harry's story

"A credit to himself"

Having left conventional schooling when he was 11, Harry went into alternative provision. By his own admission, he drifted into anti-social behaviour, got involved with drugs, and for a time was on the fringes of criminality.

After a series of casual jobs and zero-hours contracts, the Southwark Skills Centre supported Harry in getting his CSCS card and he is now a Groundwork Apprentice with Galldris, working on the Canada Water development, with ambitions to become a supervisor.

David Wake, Galldris Apprentice Manager, says "I don't think you will get a better example of how the construction industry has made such a change to a young person's life. The opportunities the construction industry offer to people from all walks for life and previous background should be celebrated. Here at Galldris we are proud of our work to recruit from hard to reach and underrepresented groups. Harry clearly had issues in the past with authority, time keeping and attendance, but has seized the opportunity at Galldris and is proving to be a real asset to us. He is a credit to himself."

Contact Canada Water Connect

Speak to our team about how to access job and training opportunities at Canada Water.

Our local Commitments

The Canada Water Masterplan is a partnership between British Land, Southwark Council and the local community to create an outstanding new town centre for Southwark and make a positive long-term contribution to local life.