tives include fostering a “logistics-friendly” business environment, improving logistics infrastructure, bringing more
logistics technology to regional industry, and developing a
highly skilled logistics workforce.
These and other public-private groups typically include
employers (such as shippers, carriers, and third-party logistics
companies), academic institutions, economic development
agencies, and local or state governments. All have a vested
interest in a knowledgeable logistics workforce. Employers
need skilled workers who understand day-to-day operations.
Governments want to create jobs—and logistics is one field
where jobs are likely to grow. Economic development agencies
want to attract business, and a pool of well-trained workers is
a powerful incentive. And academic institutions are looking to
expand their offerings and serve more students.
Each of these groups brings something to the table, says
John Ness, president of ODW Logistics and co-chair of the
Columbus Region Logistics Council. “We have learned a lot
from the failure of freight-only or private industry-only initiatives that are out of touch with what government, technology, and academia are doing to advance their individual
causes for the region’s overall benefit,” he says.
Leaders of workforce initiatives stress the importance of
harnessing the resources of a chamber of commerce or
other economic development agency. “We get access to an
engine we wouldn’t have on our own: the chamber’s established process for driving change and influencing government,” says Ness, whose group is supported by the
Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Both the Columbus
Chamber and the Greensboro, N.C.-based Piedmont Triad
Partnership, the business development group spearheading
that region’s logistics initiative, have hired logistics experts
to help turn ideas into economic reality.
Not all such public-private groups are local. The state of
Michigan recently launched the Michigan Supply Chain
Management Development Commission; commissioners
include representatives from industry, government, and academia appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. The commission’s goal is to influence state transportation and economic
development policies. Its immediate task is to develop a
statewide plan for attracting, supporting, marketing, and
growing the international trade, supply chain, and logistics
sectors. Workforce development will be a key component of
that effort. That’s a natural focus in a state whose economy
depends on manufacturing, says commission member John
A. Evans, president of Evans Distribution Systems. “In order
to have a good environment to encourage manufacturing
development, you need good logistics and supply chain management. In order to have good logistics and supply chain
capabilities, you need industry. They rely on each other.”
; In North Carolina, the Piedmont Triad Partnership has
announced plans to build the Piedmont Triad Center for
Global Logistics, which will be housed at a new facility at
Guilford Technical Community College in Greensboro.
Nearly 20 community colleges and four-year colleges and
universities, along with shippers, carriers, and business
development organizations, are involved in developing certificate, degree, and continuing education programs.
; Workforce Florida Inc., an agency that oversees the
state’s workforce policies, programs, and services, established the Employ Florida Banner Center for Logistics &
Distribution. Three educational institutions that operate
the center collaborate with a consortium of five other public and private organizations. The center’s advisory council
includes operations managers from shippers, carriers,
ports, and third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) as
well as representatives of economic development agencies.
; A diverse group of government agencies, private businesses, and community colleges in the Dallas-Fort Worth
area have joined forces to develop a Certified Logistics
Associate and Certified Logistics Technician credentialing
program. The certifications, designed for both high school
and community college students, are administered by the
Manufacturing Skill Standards Council.
; The Columbus Region Logistics Council’s workforce
committee provides a forum for businesses to discuss training and skills requirements and learn about logistics education resources in the area. The group also works with educators to develop relevant curricula and helps employment
organizations understand logistics career paths.
Making progress
A look at a few of the public-private logistics workforce initiatives now under way offers a glimpse of how different
constituencies are collaborating:
The logistics advantage
In all of these programs, industry’s input continues to be
critical. Shippers, carriers, 3PLs, and other companies know
what logistics skills are in short supply now and what their
businesses will need in the future.
Academic institutions are listening. Community colleges,
with their focus on practical application of knowledge, are
playing a leading role in logistics curriculum development.
They consult with both line managers and senior executives
to ensure their course offerings are relevant. “The pattern
starts with industry’s needs, and we develop a curriculum
around that,” explains Columbus State Community College
professor Mary Vaughn, co-chair of the Columbus Region
Logistics Council’s workforce development committee.
Ultimately, public-private logistics workforce initiatives will
benefit the economy as a whole, many believe. It’s not hard to
see why: “We’re in a unique economic situation, transforming
from manufacturing to services,” says Mark Richards, vice
president of Associated Warehouses Inc. and a former chairman of the Council of Supply Chain Management
Professionals. “That doesn’t change the need for logistics
expertise. Regardless of where a product comes from, as a
country, we have to be sure we have the most efficient supply
chain to maintain our competitive advantage.”
