PANAJI
The State is embroiled in a heated debate as local companies are seeking candidates from outside Goa, prompting discussions on the availability of skilled labour and gender equality. Companies are expressing difficulty in finding suitable candidates locally, “forcing” them to look beyond the borders for talent.
President of the Verna Industries Association Pradip Costa shed light on the challenges faced by companies, especially pharmas in Goa due to regulations preventing women from working night shifts without special permissions.
“There is abundant availability of employment for B-Pharm & M-Pharm candidates, particularly women but regulations have posed a major hurdle for companies that operate round the clock. The State government has indeed allowed women to work night shifts, albeit with strict conditions imposed on companies such as obtaining special permissions from the government. These are scrutinised on a case-by-case basis making it a tedious task to efficiently carry out the operations,” he claimed.
Costa stressed the need for more flexible regulations to accommodate women in the workforce while ensuring their safety.
A senior member of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association echoed Costa’s concerns while observing the disparity between the annual demand for skilled workers and the availability of candidates within Goa.
“There’s a significant gap between the number of fresh graduates as well as the availability of experienced candidates, and the industries’ requirements. Not only pharma but several companies are grappling with how to bridge this divide,” the member said wishing anonymity.
While companies do conduct campus recruitment, job fairs, and walk-in interviews; it has failed to meet the increasing manpower demand.
“We hardly have freshers as against the total number of requirements annually. How do we fill in these gaps? To add to this problem, not all pass-outs enter the Pharma industries… They either pursue further studies or take up jobs in other sectors,” he said.
Costa further highlighted the logistical difficulties in recruiting local talent, particularly in the packaging sector, where many Goans are hesitant to relocate within the State, given poor public transport connectivity. This reluctance has forced companies to look beyond Goa for suitable candidates. “This trend is across India where local natives are always hesitant on relocating within their own State,” he added.
The Goan tried speaking with other companies, whose recruitment teams were hesitant to discuss the issue amidst controversy surrounding the cancellation of outstation walk-in interviews. One recruitment head cited the urgent need for sufficient manpower to meet the rise in demand for products, which is lacking in Goa. “To match the increasing demand, we need to increase production for which additional manpower is needed. Since the availability is minimal, companies are forced to look for outstation candidates,” he said, explaining that some of them return to their natives after the contractual period.
Similarly, another manufacturing company’s HR highlighted the enthusiasm of outstation workers for extra shifts in complete contrast with Goan candidates.
“There are challenges to retain Goan candidates if not all. Many quit within days as they don’t get accustomed to shift work. This not only wastes resources and revenue spent on holding their interviews and subsequent medical tests, but also forces us to look for other candidates in neighbouring states,” he said, adding, ‘Women hiring is less due to strict rules which consumes extra time of the company’.
