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Logistics talent shortage identified at Georgia summit in Atlanta

SERIOUS skill shortages are emerging in the logistics sector with surveys showing only 20 per cent of 1,600 Georgia business and industrial engineering students polled expressed interest in entering the field.

"That's a serious image problem," said Christina Scherrer, professor of systems and industrial engineering at Kennesaw State University.

These were some of the concerns raised at the ninth annual Georgia Logistics Summit in Atlanta that drew 2,000 delegates, reported the American Journal of Transportation of Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Troels Adrian, economic development director for supply chain and ecosystem expansion at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, concurred that logistics is saddled with a career perception issue that must be overcome.

Mr Adrian said logistics not only encompasses "the bluest of blue-collar labour" but also increasingly is requiring the highest level of technology talent.

Said David Mihuta, sales representative for the Freightliner of Savannah truck dealership: "We're not quite sure where we're going to get the next generation of talent."

Mr Mihuta is engaged with the Maritime Logistics Education Taskforce, begun in Savannah in 2012 to give high school students exposure to the logistics industry via dozens of company partners, aiming to make a supply chain job "as attractive as being a pro ballplayer."

Laura Sidney, director of client strategy for labour analytics for commercial real estate leader CBRE, said consumer demand for swifter product delivery is translating to burgeoning requirements for the full spectrum of supply chain workers.

"We used to think three- to five-day delivery was fast; we now expect three to five hours if that," Ms Sidney said, adding that the latter scenario requires 10 times more people to get products to consumers.

Indeed, an audience survey showed 72 per cent of respondents saying they currently are experiencing labour shortages.

Following the panel presentation, Georgia Gov Nathan Deal underscored the importance of logistics in Georgia, stating that, since July 2016, the state has attracted US$4 billion in new investment by companies requiring leading-edge logistics, generating 18,000 jobs.

Among transportation infrastructure undertakings cited by Gov Deal included the Savannah Harbour Expansion Project, which he said is now about 50 per cent complete.

Deepening of the Port of Savannah's outer harbour to 49 feet and its inner channel to 47 feet, slated for completion by 2021 at a $973 million cost, has been identified by federal officials as having a 7-to-1 benefit-to-cost ratio, he said, as it facilitates the port's efficient handling of a growing number of increasingly large containerships.