universities, many companies also see value in connecting with students earlier in their academic journeys. There has been a “sea change” in understanding the need to provide more experiential opportunities for middle school and high school students so that they can “make better choices when they graduate,” Grat says. In such a competitive labor landscape, waiting until college to reach students could mean waiting too long. “If you knock on their door in college, they might not answer,” she says. “Supply chain companies are increasingly adopting the idea of dipping down into the earlier grades because the industry is graying and retiring,” Grat says. “The skills needed to be successful in the supply chain are changing,” she adds. “It’s becoming much more data- and tech-heavy, so we need to either upskill current employees or move into that digital-savvy generation and compete for that talent. “In a world with so many career choices and pathways that are much more complex than our grandparents’ generation, a sector like supply chain or logistics needs champions in the schools and it needs to create buzz,” she says. AN ARRAY OF BENEFITS Crowley sees investing in student- focused programs as enhancing the well-being and economic stability of its communities. Introducing students to the company and its industry also drives innovation and empowers culture at Crowley. For the students, “not only do they experience shipping and logistics, but they also get to see our organization in action, and hopefully, decide to join the company,” Bender says. “We need to carefully steward the resources in the communities we all share,” Bender says. “We want to see our support manifest itself in youth who understand the complexities of our industry and who collaborate inclusively. “We want to engage with institutions that understand the need to collaborate
It's important for private sector companies to provide students with practical knowledge and real-world applications. For instance, students at the MIT Global Scale Network listen to a guest lecture from an o9 Solutions industry expert.
and partner as we work together for a better tomorrow,” he adds. Supply chain organizations that share fresh lessons straight from the real world prepare students to drive change in the industry when they arrive. “It’s our responsibility to make sure students are armed with the best-in- class, latest and greatest knowledge,” Bandali says. “And not just the latest in theoretical knowledge and theoretical technology, but real practical applications that go with that theory so that they can challenge the status quo and help organizations move forward by bringing new ideas.” Industry members can open students’ eyes to the wide-ranging supply chain career possibilities. “Many students don’t realize what careers are available in supply chain,” Bandali says. “They hear the term supply chain and they know it’s important, but they don’t know what they can do. “Almost every time I give a guest lecture, students will say, ‘I didn’t know you could do this,’” he adds. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING One of the “beautiful things” about supply chain jobs, Grat says, is that there is such a range of them and working in one job can provide excellent training for another one and provide the foundation for career advancement. The supply chain sector can work to better show potential workers the long- term value of the skills that they learn in entry-level positions.
“New workers gain some critical competencies and skills that they can leverage to help them on a career trajectory,” Kent says. “We continue to try to position supply chain as a career option as opposed to a job because there are so many opportunities to learn. “Typical warehouse workers gain skill sets that are beyond many industries at that level when they enter their career path,” he adds. LEVERAGING NEW SKILLS “We consistently want to remind students of how interesting the world of supply chain is,” he adds. “We also remind them that they can leverage the individual skills they gain early on, independent of what they decide to do from a long-term perspective.” In addition to working with bachelor’s and master’s degree students, o9 Solutions has seen major bene ts from working with executive education students. “They are the decision-makers and the real change agents within an organization,” Bandali says.“If you can reach and impact them, that will drive the biggest change for the industry.” Students also provide fresh insight to the o9 Solutions experts who speak to them, asking questions that are “challenging and forward thinking,” Bandai says. They help the experts rethink assumptions and see things from new perspectives. In the end, Bandali says, “Companies can learn from the students as much as we give to them.” n
84 Inbound Logistics • June 2023
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