Supply U: Supply Chain Training Program Opening in Cornwall, Ontario


St Lawrence College's Cornwall, Ontario campus is welcoming a new group for the first time this September: university and college graduates who are looking for supply chain training. The college will be offering a three-semester graduate certificate program, which is divided into two semesters of in-class instruction, and a one semester internship at a local 3pl or distribution centre (DC).

Students from the program will graduate with a wide range of skills, from purchasing to materials handling to using computer-based logistics tracking tools. The curriculum has been created based off of what companies in Cornwall, Ontario region have cited as their requirements, as the goal of the program is to produce workers who are qualified to be management trainees in any aspect of the supply chain, or as valuable employees to retailers, trucking logistics companies or distribution centres.

This is the third program in supply chain topics that St Lawrence College has developed within recent months, and quickly advanced from a simple concept into a reality. The Cornwall region is a major distribution hub for Eastern Canada with a Walmart Canada DC and a Shoppers Drug Mart DC currently in operation, as well as a Target DC scheduled to open in several weeks. The college hopes to address an immediate need in the area, which is one reason why the program has progressed so quickly.

The curriculum has already been approved and the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has granted approval for the course. Though no teachers have been hired yet, it is likely that they will mostly be drawn from local industries and will teach part-time. The student recruitment process in turn is already underway, as the college targets students locally, as well as across Canada and internationally. International students with a credential from their home country who are interested will be able to come to Canada, study for a year, and then get a visa to stay in Canada and work for an additional year. The goal of the program is to have the first batch of students ready for their placements beginning in April 2014.

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