On September 28, the Council on Port Performance (CPP) voted to create a Workforce Development Implementation Team (WDIT).
As part of the Transportation, Logistics, and Distribution (TLD) industry, the CPP acknowledges that a workforce talent shortage could continue to get worse over time. Council members therefore agreed to collaborate with their host communities and port community stakeholders. The WDIT will strive to develop deeper understanding of the port’s value to the supply chain, economic growth, workforce development, and long-term viability of the maritime industry. It will also seek to attract new members of a qualified, skilled workforce, while creating new avenues through which these individuals can be trained and hired.
At the Port of New York and New Jersey, a workforce of 190,000 handles record cargo volumes in key areas such as warehousing/distribution, customs brokers and freight forwarders, freight railroads, banking and insurance, trucking, government inspections, terminal management, ocean carriers, container crane operators, and longshoremen. Short term industry projections cite a strong need for experienced truck drivers, warehousemen, and logistics professionals.
The WDIT plans to collaborate with the TLD Talent Development Center (TLD TDC) at Union County College. The TLD TDC is funded by a $900,000 grant from the New Jersey Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Its mission is to develop and deliver training programs for incumbent TLD workers at employers throughout the Garden State, and to deliver training programs that will provide skills to unemployed or displaced workers and prepare them for entry into TLD jobs.
Recently, the TLD TDC offered industry-specific training in Supply Chain Management as part of a consortium of twelve colleges and universities across the country. It maintains an ongoing course of eight training modules related to the TLD industry: Supply Chain Management Principles, Warehousing Operations, Transportation Operations, Customer Service Operations, Demand Planning, Manufacturing Service Operations, Inventory Management and Supply Management, and Procurement.
The TLD TDC assists individuals looking for jobs in the TLD sector, and offers training for existing workers onsite for employer partners. Trainees earn industry recognized certifications from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) upon successfully passing an exam.
In addition, the college offers resources for employers seeking qualified candidates to fill open employment opportunities.
Employers at the port and elsewhere are invited to an Employer Summit at the TLD TDC on Thursday, November 3, 2016 at 8:00 AM to learn about the programs and resources available.
For information on becoming an employer partner of the TLD TDC for employment and recruitment purposes, please contact Dr. Lisa Hiscano, at 908-965-2358 or [email protected], or Nancy Burke, Business Development Manager at 908-527-7207 or [email protected].
If you have expertise in human resources, recruiting, job placement, training, and curriculum development, and are interested in serving on the Workforce Development Implementation Team, please contact Bethann Rooney at [email protected] or Nick Raspanti at [email protected].