Hyundai, Kia underpin suppliers
Hyundai Motor Group is organizing a series of large-scale job fairs to help its small- and medium-sized parts suppliers to hire talented workers. This also provides millions of young jobseekers here with good opportunities to find work, the country’s largest automaker said Monday.
The 2017 Hyundai-Kia Partners Job Fair began at the COEX in southern Seoul, Monday, attracting thousands of young people looking to start their careers in the automotive industry. Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors jointly finance the job fair for their subcontractors.
The carmaker will also set up a venue for parts suppliers to hire new employees at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju on June 8. Those seeking to work for car parts manufacturers in Ulsan will be able to explore employment opportunities at Ulsan University on June 20.
Jobseekers will also be able to obtain information on their prospective employers at the Daegu Convention Center on June 29 and at the Changwon Convention Center on July 11.
Hyundai said 241 local firms, which manufacture a wide range of auto parts both at home and abroad, will take part in the job expos and hire up to 16,000 new employees.
“The job fair, which began in 2012, has become one of the country’s most successful win-win partnership programs between large and small companies,” a Hyundai Motor official said.
“At least 20,000 jobseekers will likely visit career counseling booths set up at the expos to explore potential employment opportunities.
Auto parts suppliers, some of whom are facing a hard time in securing talented manpower, are eager to recruit young talent, he said.
“On top of honing their technological prowess, parts makers should secure highly skilled and globally minded workers to survive in the highly competitive global market,” the official said.
“We will continue to lend a hand to our business partners in hiring the talented manpower they need. This partnership also benefits us if our suppliers produce high-quality, defect-free auto parts at lower costs by securing talented workers.”
In addition, the job fair has provided ample opportunities for young people amid the country’s high youth unemployment, he said. “The events have also helped create jobs for those residing in provincial areas and are providing a boost to municipal economies.
Hyundai has set up a comprehensive job portal for its subcontractors, in cooperation with Incruit and other online career information providers, enabling them to hire needed employees all year round.
Rebound in China?
Suppliers to Hyundai and Kia have suffered setbacks because of the two major carmakers’ declining sales in China over the past several months due to Korea’s deployment of a U.S. anti-missile shield.
Regarding the anti-missile system as a surveillance tool on China, anti-Korean sentiments sprouted up in the world’s largest automotive market. As a result, Hyundai and Kia struggled to find their feet in China this year and so did their suppliers and subcontractors.
But observers expect their sales to rebound after the inauguration of President Moon Jae-in who is trying to mend ties with Beijing. He has vowed to discuss the thorny issue with China. In his inaugural address earlier this month, Moon pledged to negotiate earnestly with China to solve the sour Sino-Korean relationship.