Supply chain management degree coming to CLC

Getting products from Point A to Point B will be the focus of a new two-year degree and academic certificates coming to College of Lake County.

CLC board members recently approved creation of a 60-credit-hour associate degree in supply chain management. Students can begin pursuing the degree when the fall semester begins in August.

In addition, CLC will launch a 15-credit-hour certificate in introduction to supply chain management and a 30-credit-hour certificate in advanced supply chain management.

"I think this is fantastic," CLC Trustee Jeanne Goshgarian said. "It's been a long time coming."

CLC officials said the coursework will be tailored for careers related to procurement, inventory management, warehousing, distribution, logistics and transportation. Students will be expected to learn about the flow of materials starting at customer service and procurement, and ending with delivery of a product to a consumer.

Graduates are expected to wind up in industries such as food and beverage, automotive, computer hardware, pharmaceuticals and electronics. An employment gap exists for trained supply chain management workers in Lake County and elsewhere in the Chicago area, according to CLC.

CLC board Chairman William Griffin said the Chicago area's significance to the shipping industry, with a vast transportation network, bodes well for the students who seek the supply chain management courses.

"We're the center of logistics," Griffin said.

In a description of the new offering, CLC cites U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing numerous supply chain management jobs will need to be filled by 2025. CLC's programs are expected to be desirable to people already in the field wanting to enhance their skills, military veterans, career changers and high school graduates.