Prologis Partnership Introduces Certificate Program for Logistics Workers
The ASCM Foundation, as part of the global Prologis Community Workforce Initiative, will develop the certificate, which is expected to launch in the third calendar quarter of 2021.
Prologis has partnered with the Association for Supply Chain Management to create a new industry certificate to develop the next generation of talent for the logistics industry.
The ASCM Foundation, as part of the global Prologis Community Workforce Initiative, will develop the certificate, which is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2021. By the end of 2025, the REIT has pledged to train 25,000 individuals for jobs in transportation, distribution and logistics.
“The need for skilled logistics workers has never been greater, particularly as warehousing and logistics operators strive to meet demand driven by faster fulfillment and higher inventory levels,” said Prologis chief legal officer and ESG head Edward S. Nekritz in a prepared statement.
Prologis says the certificate will serve as a standard for core skills in logistics and builds on the online, self-paced curriculum that the company introduced last year. In the program, students will acquire foundational skills and gain an understanding of the logistics sector. Once they have passed the exam, students will receive completion certificates, digital badges and credentials for their resumes. Prologis customers, including NFI and Geodis, helped develop the online courses.
In 2020, warehouse employment reached the highest level ever recorded with 1.25 million workers, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, the transportation, warehousing and related fields are projected to have 600,000 new openings by 2029
“There was a skills gap in the supply chain way before Covid-19 was even part of the lexicon. Now the pandemic has further exacerbated the need for upskilling to an unprecedented level,” said ASCM Foundation Vice President Dan Schoenfeld said in a prepared statement.
The need for skilled warehouse employment will continue to grow as more facilities come online. Industrial development continues to remain strong, currently exceeding 300 million square feet nationally, according to a report by Avison Young. In addition, developers completed nearly 280 million square feet of new deliveries in the US in 2020.