Supply chain is all about connecting people, organizations and communities with the goods and services they need. Warehouse clerks, material handlers, assemblers, forklift and machine operators, pickers, packers, truck drivers, and so many other warehousing professionals are the backbone of this network — and a mainstay of our global economy. For a long time, their behind-the-scenes work was often taken for granted; now, people are keenly aware of the fact that life can grind to a halt without their vital contributions.
As the post-pandemic world continues to ramp up and rebuild, the demand for warehouse workers is soaring. Supply chains everywhere are battling to keep up with the ongoing boom in consumer demand, and unfilled positions are currently nearing a 20-year high.
In the United States alone, more than 600,000 job openings are projected for the next decade. These positions are part of a diverse, fast-growing industry that uses state-of-the-art technology and has numerous interesting opportunities for collaboration, innovation and growth. According to Prologis Inc., the global leader in warehouse real estate, industry jobs pay an average of $38,000 per year — more than $18 per hour — and offer significant opportunity for a rewarding professional path forward.
Essential logistics instruction
ASCM is proud to announce that we have partnered with Prologis to create a brand new certificate to help people acquire the skills they need to begin promising warehousing careers. The first-of-its-kind certificate is being developed with the ASCM Foundation as part of the global Prologis Community Workforce Initiative (CWI).
With a key goal being to attract more people to the field and prepare them for fulfilling career opportunities, the partnership aligns with the ASCM Foundation’s mission to create a better world through supply chain. Likewise, Prologis CWI is an extension of the company’s commitment to deliver superior customer service while strengthening local communities. The company has pledged to train 25,000 individuals by the end of 2025.
This industry-driven certificate will serve as a standard for core warehousing training and education, building on Prologis’s existing self-paced online curriculum. Learners will develop foundational skills while gaining a comprehensive understanding of the warehousing sector. After successfully passing an exam, they will receive a completion certificate, digital badge and credential for their resumes.
We look forward to officially launching the initiative later this year. In the meantime, begin learning more about this exciting career with ASCM Principles On-Demand education about inventory management, distribution and logistics. And don’t miss the numerous fascinating articles that explore many different facets of the warehousing profession in the ASCM blog.
Organizations everywhere are working hard to attract, recruit and retain these modern-day supply chain heroes, and there has truly never been a more exciting time to be a part of this field. Soon, there will be a certificate program that provides a clear, straightforward path to get us there.
