ST Helens College officially launched its Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) qualifications as part of European Supply Chain Day 2016, in April. A Wincanton lorry took centre stage on the colleges town centre campus as staff and students from the college, staff from Wincanton and representatives from CILT came together to promote logistics.
European Supply Chain Day aims to raise awareness of the value of logistics and supply chain activities in everyday life. The College used this as a platform to raise awareness of skills shortages and potential career opportunities in the logistics, transport and warehousing sector. During the day a number of activities took place including careers and advice sessions on entering the industry and workshops and activities for current students.
Level 3 BTEC Business students took part in a Think Logistics workshop session delivered by Bright House, an industry-led initiative which included a visit from an industry expert, currently working in Logistics to help our students gain a better understanding of the industry and the opportunities that exist. In the afternoon, students had the chance to put what they had learnt in the morning into practice by playing ‘Business on the Move’, an educational, realistic board game designed to excite and inspire players of all ages about business and global supply chains.
Then in the evening, a logistics, transport and warehousing open event took place for individuals to receive information, advice and guidance on CILT qualifications available at St Helens College as well as finding out about career opportunities within the sector.
Jette Burford, Principal at St Helens College commented: “The £1 billion investment in Liverpool SUPERPORT means there are many opportunities for careers locally within logistics, transport and warehousing. We are aware of several skills gaps and this is part of our drive to plug this gap. There are many opportunities for the local community to take advantage of in terms of jobs and careers available across the Liverpool City Region. This is just the start of us equipping them with the skills and knowledge required to take advantage of this. Our brand new £3million Northern Logistics Academy is set to launch this September and will further contribute to this.”
Neil Caldwell, Regional Officer for the North West said: “We are delighted to be working in conjunction with the college to deliver CILT accredited qualifications. We offer a progressive range of nationally recognised, professional qualifications offering opportunities to develop and enhance careers in logistics, supply chain management and transport.”
James Riley, Wincanton Driver Training & Development Manager said: “Using European Supply Chain Day 2016 was an excellent platform for us to raise awareness of the sector and raise awareness of careers in logistics and transports both generally within the college and the local area. As an organisation, we have several vacancies and are working closely with St Helens College to ensure that our current and future workforce is equipped with the skills and qualifications that they need to succeed.”