VASCO
Months after the backlash from politicians and civil society over outstation recruitment drives for positions at facilities here, Goa's booming pharmaceutical sector created a record of sorts by getting over 1500 job seekers to register on Friday, the day one of their two-day job fair at GIDC's Verna Industrial Estate.
As many as 1,550 job-seekers registered on Friday, Pramod Sulakhe, Joint Secretary of the Verna Industries Association (VIA) told the media.
The job fair attracted engineers, BSc and MSc degree holders, engineering diploma holders, Industrial Training Institute (ITI) trade certificate holders and bachelor and masters degree holders in pharmacy.
Sulakhe who is also part of the Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association said that plans were afoot to hold this job fairs every year. The job fair will continue on Saturday and the organisers expect to double the registrations.
Sulakhe said, the job fair was mainly meant for 'freshers' and was organised by the pharma manufacturers association in collaboration with the Goa government's labour and skill development departments besides VIA and GIDC.
"We got a very good response. Preference is being given to local Goans. We got as many as 1,550 who registered," Sulakhe said.
All the candidates who registered have been interviewed by top management level officials of 15 pharmaceutical companies who participated in the fair.
Sulakhe said the Association will continue such efforts to ensure people get opportunities in the Pharmaceutical field and such job fairs will be held every year in collaboration with the Goa government departments.
Sulakhe, however, did not say how many placement letters were actually issued on day one of the fair and the association is expected to compile these details and release it at the end of the two-day fair on Saturday.
Companies from Goa's thriving pharma sector had earlier in May got trapped in a major controversy when at least two companies -- Indoco Remedies Limited and Encube -- were forced to cancel planned recruitment by holding walk-in interviews at outstation locations in Maharashtra following a backlash from local politicians and civil society citing the 'jobs-for-locals' rule.
