MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
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The ongoing shortage of talent remains a top concern of supply chain companies throughout the world. In fact, the newly released 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report found that 52% of leaders surveyed described hiring and retaining talent as extremely or somewhat challenging.
One way to prime the talent pipeline is by encouraging close collaboration between the supply chain and logistics organizations that are looking for these workers and the academic institutions that are educating them. These efforts are paying off today, as students from high school to higher education learn about the opportunities in supply chain‑related careers in their classrooms while gaining real‑world experience.
Encouraging Early Entry
In Rock Hill, South Carolina, local businesses that needed supply chain workers helped start and continue to support a Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management program at the local high school’s Applied Technology Center. Established in 2009, the program was originally called the Don Frazier Material Handling Technical Training Program in honor of the founder of MHI member Frazier Industrial.
Today the logistics and supply chain management program provides instruction and hands‑on experience for about 40 high schoolers each semester. During four consecutive classes, students learn about the flow of goods and services, warehousing, material handling, inventory control and transportation of materials to the end user. They also handle the distribution of food for a Back the Pack program, which distributes packages of non‑perishable food items each weekend for more than 800 food‑insecure students.
“We receive the food, store it, package it and set up lines, then ship the packages out to the schools that need them. That’s where they get a lot of their warehousing experience,” said Troy Massey, the instructor for the program.
In the introductory course, students learn about different types of warehousing.
They also qualify for OSHA 10 and forklift certifications, which makes them eligible for part‑time jobs with local companies looking for warehouse workers.
The second level class covers warehousing locations and transportation options, including different types of packaging for trucks, railroads, planes and ships. When they advance to the third level class, students take more responsibility for the warehousing and supervisory roles in the Back the Pack program. They also use software to manage inventory. Throughout all the classes, Massey takes students on field trips to local businesses to see the latest technologies, like automated guided vehicles, at work in the warehouses.
“Level four, which is open to juniors and seniors, is our work‑based program,” Massey said. The program’s partner companies provide paid jobs that young people can do during the final blocks of the school day, and then provide feedback to the school about their students’ performance. Companies often keep these workers on the payroll after their class is complete.
Those experiences can impact the students’ ultimate choice of career. “I’ve had six or seven students who have decided they want to work in logistics based on what we’ve taught them here,” said Massey.
The business/education connection is ongoing. Several local supply chain and logistics companies serve on the program’s advisory board. “We sit down with them at least once a semester and probe them to find out if we’re teaching what’s required,” Massey said. “We always want to be relevant.”
Opportunities for Non‑Traditional Students
Forsyth Tech Community College (FTCC) in Winston‑Salem, North Carolina, is located in an area with an exceptionally high demand for professionals with supply chain management skills, according to Rob Herald, program coordinator for the college’s Supply Chain Management—Global Logistics & Distribution Management Technology program. “The presence of logistics, warehousing and manufacturing facilities is expected to grow significantly, with new relocations planned in the near future,” he said.
The college’s supply chain management program maintains a dynamic relationship with local businesses, collaborating on curriculum development and providing students with practical experiences that prepare them for successful careers in supply chain and logistics, Herald said. Its work‑based‑learning program, for example, enables students to apply classroom knowledge in real‑world settings.
To provide supply chain job opportunities for individuals outside the normal talent pool, FTCC has developed the Distribution and Logistics Management Program in conjunction with Goodwill Industries and Second Harvest Food Bank. The program, designed to reach underrepresented, unemployed or underemployed individuals, combines classroom instruction with hands‑on training at the food bank’s distribution center. Participants gain real‑world experience in warehouse operations and processes.
The program initially focuses on soft skills, like writing resumes, dressing professionally and preparing for interviews. The students earn forklift operation certification, learn logistics and distribution principles and participate in an 80‑hour internship at local business partner facilities. People who successfully complete the program may earn academic credits at FTCC, providing a pathway into the supply chain management programs.
“By bridging education and practical experience, participants are positioned to succeed in a field with increasing demand for skilled professionals,” Herald said.
FTCC’s supply chain management program consults with local businesses on curriculum development. “In collaboration with our advisory board members, we have streamlined and updated the Supply Chain Management program to address the significant changes in the field necessitated by the COVID‑19 pandemic. These enhancements have better positioned us to support the needs of our students, the local workforce, business partners and college stakeholders effectively,” Herald said.
Today, FTCC offers two‑year AAS degrees in supply chain management, distribution management and global logistics technologies; between 15 and 25 students graduate from these programs annually. Graduates are equipped for a wide range of positions in supply chain and logistics, including roles in government agencies, manufacturing and service organizations, Herald said.
FTCC’s one‑year diploma program focuses on core courses with fewer general education requirements, preparing students for entry‑level positions like transportation logistics coordinator, import/export specialist and purchasing assistant.