Dive Brief:
- Toyota Motor Manufacturing gave The University of Evansville a $100,000 grant to establish the Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LCSM) Program, according to the university.
- The new program will begin in the fall of 2018, making the university's Schroeder Family School of Business Administration the first private University in Indiana to offer an undergraduate major in logistics and supply chain management.
- Toyota has a plant located in Princeton, Indiana, less than 30 miles away from the University.
Dive Insight:
Supply chain degrees and training are becoming an industry norm while helping to solve the staffing and talent shortage issue.
Students as young as K-12 are learning about the supply chain through an APICS-sponsored program in Chicago, while higher ed options are growing as well, including J.B. Hunt's Innovation Center of Excellence at the University of Arkansas. For those seeking other educational opportunities, certification programs exist to aid in training and potential salary boosts.
It's hard to beat a degree, however.
"Our students' starting salaries tend to be over 50k," Greg Rawski, Dean of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration, told Supply Chain Dive. "They've increased by 21% within the past five years alone."
Opportunities for observation of working supply chains are also common for students in the program.
"Our program offers a class called 'Contemporary Supply Chain Issues' wherein students visit various companies once a week," Rawski added. "We also spend a day visiting the Walton School in Arkansas."
Finally, University of Evansville students also have the chance to network with future employers.
"We sponsor introductory dinners for executives and freshmen and sophomore supply chain majors," Rawski said. "It's a great time to make a connection."
