Few takers for govt job fairs in Pune as firms offer meagre salary
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Against 6,219 vacant positions the 78 companies were looking to hire for, 1,035 people appeared for interviews, which showed the disinterest in menial job profiles, a govt official said, adding that lack of skills was never an issue.
"Most of the companies were filling trainee positions on an apprenticeship basis. The employment contract is for 11 months. That means they will have to apply afresh after that period irrespective of their performance," said Omkar More, who holds skill training sessions for ITI technicians and interacted with many job seekers.
For freshers, the starting salary shockingly ranged between Rs8,000 and Rs10,000.
Microbiology graduate Chaitanya More (26) had an unpleasant experience at one such fair. "I was offered the position of a trainee in a manufacturing company with an in-hand salary of Rs15,000. Instead, I joined a Pune-based cooperative for waste collectors, Swach, as a contractual supervisor."
The situation was similar for chemistry graduate Veer Ruikar, a resident of Ghorpadi, who was promised Rs13,000 per month as a medical sales representative.
"I rejected the offer also because of a longer commute. Currently I am working for a family-run tiffin service and simultaneously searching for a better oppourtunity in the regular market."
ITI-trained Bunty Shelar was not selected by any of the companies. But the terms of employment were clear: a salary of up to Rs10,000 per month and a six-month contract. "Hence, I was not keen on pursuing such companies."
Companies should look at the long term even when hiring for entry-level or blue-collar workers by giving them an idea about their career graph and by investing in their education at the fresher level, said Nipun Sharma, CEO of Teamlease Degree Apprenticeship.
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"They should also focus on skill improvement to enhance productivity. Such measures reduce the attrition at the base level."
Omkar More said many switched careers to sales executives or call centres as they became disillusioned with the lack of growth prospects. "These workers cannot be expected to continue in a manner where there is no possibility of growth. The main reason the companies are adopting this policy is to cut costs."
The locations of companies are in industrial areas such as Chakan, Pimpri Chinchwad or Bhosari. Barring a couple of companies, many do not offer transport. So, commute is also a major challenge, especially when the payment is paltry. In some cases, fly-by-night third-party contractors pick blue-collar workers for a limited time and remove them after the contract is over, experts said.
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