News

Planning for the supply chain professionals of tomorrow

Four times a year GS1 Australia holds a Supply Chain Management (SCM) Futures Forum focused on the next generation of supply chain professionals.

It is attended by business and supply chain practitioners, Australian universities and other teaching institutions. Together they identify course curriculum where global standards and emerging supply chain management (SCM) technologies could be incorporated. The group considers relevant content and modes of delivery for future education and training programs.

One of the topics discussed in the forum during 2007 was the level of knowledge required by graduates for their successful entry into the workplace. The discussions led to the creation of a skills matrix listing the competencies students should acquire during their studies.

The forum concluded that the majority of SCM graduates have a scientific and analytical background, and while this provides a valuable set of technical skills, they also need additional skills so they can work effectively and be commercially savvy when applying their knowledge in the workplace.

Steven Pereira, GS1 Australia’s chief information officer and head of the education and training department is convenor of the forum: “We want our teaching institutions to produce supply chain professionals who are knowledgeable on global standards and are learning material relevant to today’s supply chain challenges,” he said.

These skills include the ability to:

• Be socially interactive, communicative and technology savvy.

• Analyse and solve problems as they arise in the business.

• Demonstrate an appropriate knowledge on supply chain management and its connection with other disciplines.

• Apply supply chain knowledge in a practical environment in a critical, creative and ethical way.

• Demonstrate of responsible behaviour and social conscience through leadership.

Universities and other partners of the forum have committed to check their course curriculum against this matrix to make sure they are giving their students the appropriate skills for industry readiness.

For more information on the skills matrix and on the forum, contact Camille Dreyfuss on 1300 366 033 or email gs1aust@gs1au.org.

 

Send this to a friend