Mohawk-Port Authority partnership helps bridge transport sector skills gap

HAMILTON, ON – Mohawk College and the Hamilton Port Authority (HPA) have partnered to help connect students with employment in the transportation sector.

Hamilton’s transportation network is a major part of the city’s unique economic advantage, with access to road, rail, marine and air modes for the movement of goods. At the Port of Hamilton alone, more than 2,100 people work in a variety of transportation-intensive industries. Jobs in these companies require a sophisticated and evolving set of skills. Employees with these capabilities are in high demand, but the path to employment in some cases can be difficult to navigate.

HPA and Mohawk are working together on initiatives to help students along the road to transportation careers:

NEW Supply Chain Management Program

Mohawk and HPA are pleased to announce the launch of a new Post-Graduate Certificate in Supply Chain Management, with the first students starting in January 2018. The program is designed to teach students about how goods flow within an organization, from raw material suppliers, to the end consumer. A new $20,000 tuition-support fund from HPA will directly assist local students enrolled in this program in the coming years. HPA is also working with port-located companies to create co-op and internship placements to complement the program.

Support for Skilled Trades through CitySchool by Mohawk

HPA is working closely with CitySchool by Mohawk to create a pathway to jobs in the skilled trades. Backed by a $10,000 HPA contribution to CitySchool’s mobile classroom, CitySchool offers a free, on-site introduction to welding, an in-demand skill among Hamilton’s industrial employers. Located at the Eva Rothwell Centre on Wentworth St. in Hamilton’s North End, this partnership aims to create employment connections for local residents to employers located nearby, on and off the port lands.

This partnership is in step with the goals of Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger’s Blue Ribbon Task Force, which identified the need for greater alignment between employer needs and labour force skills development.

Quotes

Mayor Fred Eisenberger – City of Hamilton

“The Port of Hamilton’s impact on the local and regional economy touches a wide range of sectors and skilled trades. Their partnership and contribution to Mohawk College with these programs brings immediate benefits to students, while at the same time helping to feed future employment needs. I’m proud to see one of our most vital economic engines working in tandem with an academic institution to practically create sustainable growth and new opportunities for our residents.”

Ron McKerlie – President, Mohawk College

“Building and strengthening partnerships is a priority for Mohawk. We are proud to partner with the Hamilton Port Authority to support the needs of local employers and create more opportunities for the people of Hamilton.”

Ian Hamilton – President & CEO, Hamilton Port Authority

“Ninety per cent of everything we touch has travelled by ship at some point. Management of the supply chain is a largely invisible yet vital function; companies that do it well can be up to 20 per cent more profitable. Through this terrific partnership with Mohawk, we’ll ensure our local workforce is ready and able to support our city’s competitive advantage in transportation and logistics. Today’s supply chain graduates have an enormous opportunity to build a career that is in demand and highly valued in Canada and globally.”

Kevin Hagen – Senior Vice President & General Manager, Fluke Transportation Group
“From an employer’s perspective, finding employees with the right skills can be a real challenge. We’re happy to encourage more interest in the transportation sector as a career choice. Making strong connections between school and the workplace helps position graduates for success.”

Background

  • Transportation-intensive industries provide 140,000 jobs in the Hamilton area[i]
  • 88% of companies have global supply chains[ii]
  • Canada’s transportation system moves more than $1 trillion worth of goods each year[iii]
  • There are 66,000 forecasted job vacancies for skilled supply chain staff every year in Canada[iv]
  • Companies that operate best in class supply chains are 20% more profitable.[v]
  • Approximately 90% of everything we use in our daily lives has travelled by ship at some point[vi]
  • More than 2,100 people work at 130 companies located at the Port of Hamilton
  • Wages at the port are 20% higher than the Ontario average (includes transportation & warehousing, manufacturing, engineering/construction)
  • The goods that transit the Port of Hamilton are worth $1.9 billion annually


Mohawk College Supply Chain Management Program

  • Start dates: January 2018 / September 2018
  • 8 months
  • Occupational categories: Supply Chain Manager, Warehouse Manager, Senior Buyer, Transport Scheduler, Procurement Manager, Logistics Analyst, Operations Manager
  • Program highlights:
    • Study the processes and requirements to acquire goods and services
    • Learn how functional areas within an organization interact to design, make, buy, and deliver goods and services for consumers
    • Examine supply chain within the goods and services sectors, and learn how to help companies build a competitive advantage
    • Build capstone projects that support industry challenges
    • Simulation and case study course work
    • Career-ready outcomes that prepare the graduate for the supply chain industry

HOW TO REGISTER: https://www.mohawkcollege.ca/programs/business/supply-chain-management-385 

 

[i] CPCS for Toronto Region Board of Trade, Impact of the Movement of Goods Rept. #1, 2017

[ii] Supply Chain Management Association, How It’s Done: Why Canada’s Supply Chain Matters (SC Digest)

[iii] SCMA, How It’s Done (Transport Canada)

[iv] Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council, Labour Market Study, 2012

[v] PricewaterhouseCoopers, Benchmarking Supply Chain

[vi] Rose George, Ninety Per Cent of Everything, 2014

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