Posco to employ 7,000 in Orissa project phase I

Steel major Posco has projected direct employment for over 7,000 people in the phase I of its Orissa project which will be completed by 2010.

The phase I comprises 4 million tonne of steel making capacity out of the total 12 million tonne envisaged for the project. The plant is proposed to be set up at Paradip in Orissa, The project is expected to create 48,000 jobs directly and indirectly.

Soung-Sik Cho, chairman and managing director, Posco India Pvt Ltd, said, keeping in line with Posco's endeavour to create a truly Indian company, 97 per cent of total employee strength will comprise of Indians.

The employees will be hired for various positions which include managerial positions, supervisors, consultants and general workers, among others.

Posco India will need highly skilled workers, managers and administrators at each level since steel is a labour-intensive industry which also involves complex technology.

However, the company is keen to recruit talent from the state for its future manpower requirements and in pursuit of getting the right people, the company will give priority to locals while recruiting in manufacturing, engineering, construction and administration etc, Cho said.

Since the signing of the MoU in June 2005 and setting up of Posco's Indian subsidiary, Posco India in August 2005, the company has already recruited 75 employees out of which above 40 are Indians.

Majority of the recruited are Oriyas who work in different sectors of the company like iron ore and coal mine, forest, water supply, power, road, ancillary industries and rehabilitation & resettlement.

Some are employed in various departments like township design, construction, human resource, administration, accounts/finance, law, IT, PR, etc.

The company is currently in the process of recruitment in areas such as administration, mining, procurement and public relations.

In addition to the above, about 140 Indians are engaged in the project through consulting companies in various studies, research and field work. Besides, a number of jobs for the ancillary industries will also be generated with the progress of the project.

Posco project is expected to create approximately 48,000 jobs directly and indirectly in the region and around 4,67,000 man years of employment during the construction phase.

A total of $278.6 billion is the projected economic effect of the project, considering taxes and royalty incomes for the central government, as well as the government of Orissa.