Getting Schoolkids Interested in a Career in Supply Chain

It's safe to say that no child yearns for a career in supply chain. But schools and educators are working to change that. The shift can be seen at all levels – college, high school and even the elementary grades. Until recently, the education system wasn't doing a very good job of producing graduates who were qualified to take on even entry-level jobs related to supply chain, logistics or global trade management. Now, though, schools are starting to listen to the private sector. On this episode, we talk to PJ Shelton, deputy sector navigator for global trade and logistics in the San Francisco Bay Area, and director of the Centers for International Trade Development. She assesses the state of supply-chain education at all grade levels. She explains how colleges are starting to do a better job of aligning their programs with the needs of business. And she talks about how high school and elementary kids can be made aware of the rich possibilities offered by a career in supply chain. Maybe there's hope for closing that looming supply-chain talent gap after all.