specialreport
building a log istics-
Industry is desperate
savvy workforce
for trained logistics
employees.
Governments want to
create jobs. Colleges
want students. When
they team up
on logistics workforce
development,
everybody wins.
AT A TIME WHEN SCADS OF LOGISTICS EXPERTS ARE LOOKING FOR WORK,
you’d think it would be easy to find the right people to fill logistics, distribution, and
transportation positions. Yet companies still say they face a serious shortage of logistics talent. What gives?
The problem is not a scarcity of executive MBAs, and it’s not about simply filling
open slots with warm bodies. It’s about the lack of knowledgeable, competent people
to work in operations—forklift drivers, warehouse supervisors, import/export managers, and just about any other entry- and mid-level logistics position you can think of.
These jobs are now viewed as integral components of a complex supply chain, and most
require some understanding of technology. By all accounts, there aren’t enough people
who can perform those functions as they need to be performed in this era of “the perfect order.” In short, the demand for logistics-savvy workers has exceeded the supply.
To address this problem, public-private partnerships focused on logistics workforce development are springing up across the country. Industry, academia, and
government are collaborating to meet industry’s needs while promoting economic
and job growth—a formula they think will be a winner for all sides.
Mutual interests
Logistics industry groups have already tried to address the workforce issue. What’s
different now is the breadth of participation and the recognition that logistics is a
critical player in economic development.
For example, North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad Logistics and Distribution
Roundtable has four objectives: land-use planning, developing the region as a global logistics hub, promoting logistics as a career path for youth, and expanding logistics education programs. The Columbus (Ohio) Region Logistics Council’s objec-
