A multi-million pound construction training centre hailed as an Olympic legacy for Waltham Forest has delivered just a fraction of the promised number of apprenticeships for local people.


Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act also suggest that the majority of such trainees at the Cathall Road National Skills Academy in Leytonstone are not even from Waltham Forest.


When the £7.24million centre opened late in 2010, Waltham Forest Council claimed that it would provide 160 annual apprenticeships and give training for 1,000 unemployed local people every year.


But it has now emerged that just 105 apprentices studied at the centre between 2010 and 2012.
 

And there were only 91 apprentices and funded learners living in postcodes entirely or partly in Waltham Forest during that time - 19 per cent of the total.


It comes just months after a council panel was set up to investigate failures of the authority's unemployment programme Worknet, which also failed to hit its targets.


Part of Worknet included a partnership with the National Construction College organisation, which was awarded the contract to run the centre by the council.


Community worker and researcher Nick Tiratsoo uncovered the figures.


He said: "This is a by now familiar story of extravagant claim followed by mediocre performance.


"The only losers as always are the young and unemployed.


"When will the council publicly face up to the fact that its Worknet programmes have failed, and learn the appropriate lessons?"


According to the figures, there were 42 people trained at the centre in 2010, 1,040 in 2011 and 1,461 in 2012.
 

The council said it would be too expensive to calculate how many of those were 'local' and that it could only provide figures for apprentices and funded learners.


Of the total number of trainees, 965 received ‘In House' certificates.
 

These qualifications are not officially nationally recognised and are often provided by construction companies themselves.

And in roughly half of the non-apprentice courses at the centre, trainees only attended for a maximum of one day.
 

The Guardian is awaiting a comment from the council and the NCC.