London job applicants ‘lacked basic literacy skills’
The director of London's newest shopping centre has revealed his shock at discovering many prospective employees at the facility lacked the ability to read and write.
Remedial tuition was organised for new staff at Westfield Stratford City after bosses realised many were illiterate, the Evening Standard reports.
Due to open its doors on September 13th, the £1.45 billion shopping mall is located next to the Olympic Park in east London.
Director John Burton said he was stunned by the number of people who applied for jobs at the complex without basic reading and writing skills.
"They could not even fill out the forms without getting assistance," he told the newspaper.
"We brought tutors in for the people we thought might make it because their enthusiasm levels were high."
The incident was cited by the publication as the latest example of a literacy crisis in the most deprived areas of the capital. The Evening Standard is spearheading a campaign to tackle the problem called Get London Reading, which was launched earlier this year.
