Job Loss Sparks Supply Chain Education Increase

In a partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) releases a new training program designed to prepare under employed and unemployed workers for a career in the supply chain. Because many residents lost jobs during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the state of Illinois hopes to enable individuals with the tools to work in an essential field as e-commerce pushes the sector forward. 

• DCEO’s Office of Employment and Training is providing $250,000 for the ASCM pilots through federal funds to support dislocated workers under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The pilots are targeting dislocated workers who have been impacted by COVID-19 and will help Illinois residents across the state seize on the growth of e-commerce, shipping and logistics and transportation industries in Illinois.    
• Set to begin next month, the program will be piloted in some of Illinois’ largest supply chain hubs, Southern Cook County, Metro East and Southern Illinois. An initial 250 participants will begin a one-week virtual training program, with industry aligned curriculum from ASCM covering topics such as inventory management, logistics and consumer distribution principles and basic management skills.
• At the end the training, participants will receive a certificate in Essential Supply Chain Management Skills. Those who complete training will have an opportunity to work with their local workforce agency to apply for supply chain careers available in the area.    

“The fast-growing supply chain is a key economic driver for the Southwestern Economic Development Region, and the need for trained workers in this area continues to grow as well,”  says Tony Fuhrmann, director of the Madison County Employment and Training Department, workforce training partner for the Metro East Hub. “We are proud to partner with DCEO and ASCM to pilot a new industry training program that will pair businesses in need of trained employees with talented residents of our community looking to take the next step in their career or to simply get back on their feet.”