By Jerom Bolt
Liberty Galati has already employed 532 new employees this year, with at least 100 more roles still to be filled
Around 100 of the new joiners have taken up new roles created by Liberty Galati’s ongoing transformation strategy
Liberty Steel Group, which owns the largest integrated steel producer in Romania, is targeting the hiring of almost 650 new employees at Liberty Galati in 2021, with at least 100 more roles to be filled by the end of the year. The expansion highlights Liberty Galati’s ongoing transformation strategy, with 100 new roles having been created by the plant’s increased production and its digitalization and automation projects.
Liberty Steel Group employs around 7,000 people in Romania, of whom more than 1,100 are women, making it one of the country’s largest employers. The team’s expansion is supporting Liberty Galati’s growth over 2021, with the plant now targeting annual production of 3 million tonnes of steel.
Paramjit Kahlon, CEO of Liberty Steel Group Primary Steel and Mining, said: “Our group’s vision is to transform Liberty Galati into a company of the future through sustainability, digitalization and upskilling. We have a transformational plan – GREEN STEEL – to produce carbon-neutral steel, which combines innovative technologies with renewable energy and steel scrap recycling. Our human resources strategy places the Liberty team at the heart of this transformation. We intend to strengthen the team further, attracting more young people to help us transform the steel industry and investing in upskilling our people to develop and use the technologies of the future.”
The strategy of Liberty Galati includes a range of upskilling, development, and training programs in collaboration with the GREEN STEEL Academy, as well as comprehensive health and safety programs. The company has recently launched an accelerated learning program, which has already led to 84 employees being trained with 100 employees to benefit soon. In collaboration with the Galati County Employment Agency, LIBERTY Galati continues the project of training future workers through the local Apprenticeship School.
Mihaela Vereș, Head of Human Resources at LIBERTY Galati, said: “We have a huge responsibility to our team, their families, and our communities to deliver sustainable jobs. That’s why we make huge efforts to ensure the well-being and stability of our team. Some of our employees – true ”people of steel” – have now retired after working 30-40 years with us, and we want to create more long-term jobs through our GREENSTEEL transformation plan. We need new people -from IT specialists to engineers to apprentices – to help us build the future of Liberty Galati.”
In order to encourage more young people into the steel industry and help develop more sustainable production methods, the company launched GREENSTEEL Academy in collaboration with energy and academia partners, including the University “Dunărea de Jos” of Galati who supports us in building a mentorship program for students. In addition, LIBERTY Steel Group’s global specialists – with extensive expertise in the steel industry and advanced technologies – work closely with the teams in Galati to innovate future solutions for employees, customers, partners, and the Romanian society.
Liberty Steel Group is part of GFG Alliance, a collection of global businesses and investments owned by Sanjeev Gupta and his family. GFG Alliance is structured into three core industry brands; Liberty Steel Group, ALVANCE Aluminium Group and SIMEC Energy Group, independent of each other yet united through shared values and a purpose to create a sustainable future for industry and society. GFG Alliance employs c.35,000 people, across 30 countries and has revenues of >USD $20bn.
Liberty Galaţi is the largest integrated steelworks in Romania, with a workforce of around 7,000 and a current production capacity of approximately 3 million tonnes of steel per annum serving the construction, marine, oil, gas, and renewable energy customers.
