It’s an opportunity to sharpen your business skills and take on a career in a fast-growing industry. With over 700,000 Canadians employed in supply chain and logistics, the industry only continues to expand and create more careers for new grads. Post-secondary institutions across the country are offering graduate programs to students who wish to take their knowledge in supply chain and logistics to the next level.

“There are a number of people who graduate from general BA’s, so they need to have something that says ‘I need to stand out from everyone else,’ ‘I need a career in this field.’” says William Tennant, program coordinator for the School of Business, Kingston Campus at St. Lawrence College. The school is set to launch their new graduate certificate program in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at the Cornwall campus this fall.

The program will include a four-month field placement, designed to introduce students to professionals in the field and to demonstrate their acquired skills. “With everything they were taught in the classroom, they will have an opportunity to put into practice,” says Tennant. “It’s a look for both the employer and the student for whether that’s the place they fit.”

Students focus on topics in purchasing, distribution, business communications, and international logistics, says Angelo Crupi, program coordinator for the Supply Chain Management postgraduate certificate at Humber College.

Crupi adds that the two-semester program is designed to lead graduates to “entry-level management positions.” Some of these roles range from distribution centre management to transportation managers to analysts. “There are a variety of things, but they are trained to be decision-makers,” he says. “We have many companies coming to us with programs set up to take our graduates in, train them in their own specific systems, and then off they go.”

As one of North America’s fastest growing sectors, employment opportunities have been on the rise, even for those coming from abroad. “It’s a good, growing field to get into where demand is still outpacing supply,” says Crupi. “Because of that, we see a lot of international students coming into the program, and even the Canadian students we get tend to be first-generation Canadians that come from somewhere else.”

When describing the ideal logistics and supply chain professional, Tennant says commitment is a key trait. “They have to be ambitious, motivated, and have to have done their homework. It’s not something that you go into saying ‘I’m going to give this a try and if I like it, I’ll take it;’ you’re really committing yourself to this field.” 

With much of the buzz for supply chain and logistics coming from abroad, Crupi says the job is exciting because “it involves every aspect of the business” and is an international industry.

“Companies are sourcing material and labour, and they’re outsourcing production, so what happens in a small part of the world will have a huge impact on your business,” he says. “It’s a great field if you’re looking for an interesting and exciting job with good job prospects.”

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