PANAJI: The participation in a job fair in Sawantwadi, Maharashtra, by Goan firms has ruffled many feathers in the state. This has come when the Goan youth see lesser employment opportunities in the industrial sector, which is beset by a mismatch between expectations of job seekers and requirements of employers.
Owners of industrial units in the state participated in the private job fair conducted by a consultant in Swantwadi, Maharashtra, on April 11, receiving flak for preferring outsiders to the local youth.
Some industrialists said that most of their vacancies remain unfilled due to a difference in expectations from both the sides.
“Most youth are unwilling to take up jobs in the private sector as they prefer government jobs,” said a unit owner.
In all, 25 companies based in the state participated in the job fair with an offering of over 650 openings.
The job openings were in engineering, commerce, accounts, sales, etc. There were complaints from the local youth that these vacancies should have been open to locals instead of offering them to outsiders through a private consultant.
The companies that participated in the Sawantwadi job fair included several pharmaceutical units based in the Verna industrial estate, such as CIPLA, Blue Cross Laboratories, automobile dealers, the Pai Kane Group, Manipal Hospital, etc.
The human resource manager of a pharmaceutical company claimed that with only two pharmaceutical colleges, the industry faces an acute shortage of labour and ends up employing outsiders.
Some of the firms said the vacancies were for units located in Maharashtra while others termed it a “routine exercise”.
The state employment exchange receives about 18,000 registrations on an average annually, and there are over 1,20,000 Goans on the live register in the exchange.
Job seekers come from all educational backgrounds – from 12th standard passed candidates to ITI degree holders and from graduates to doctorate holders.
The number of job seekers who are selected each year is only about 20 per cent.
Statistics gathered from the employment exchange reveals that the government provides a chunk of the jobs. It is the largest job provider absorbing over 90 per cent of the applicants while private sector jobs from the industry are negligible.
In fact contribution of industry to job creation is dropping.
The firms have blamed the difference in expectations between the unemployed and the employers for the declining employment opportunities for Goans, but participation in a job fair in Maharashtra will surely not improve things.