Hey, Teacher! Leave Them Kids Alone!

It might appear that entirely too many young people in the U.S. have taken to heart the exhortation, "We don't need no education," from the Pink Floyd anthem, Another Brick In The Wall.  A friend recently admitted to interrviewing three Princeton candidates from a well-known private school.  Two were of Indian heritage and one was Iranian.

I won't wander into the swamp of comparative genetics, but will observe that environments in which learning and accomplishment are valued tend to produce scholars and achievers.

There may be good news in the world of logistics and supply chain managment, however.  As DC Velocity recently reported, logistics centers (and communities that aspire to be) are investing in relevant and focused workforce development (which is a code word for education).

Here in beautiful downtown Ohio, a coordinated and multi-tiered initiative is underway.  It involves universities, colleges, community colleges, high schools, and private sector companies in developing and delivering logistics education to students at all levels, as well as to adult learners (for either retraining or skills maintenance).  The objectives are self-serving - supporting local business development and economic growth.  And, it's working.

So, what are you doing to develop and enhance your workforce's knowledge base?  Could they be doing a better job with more training?  As important - maybe even more so - what are your supply chain partners doing in this arena?  Would improved skills help build a more capable and effective - and more competitive - end-to-end supply chain?