Maine Maritime Academy Training the Next Generation of Supply Chain Logistics Professionals

CASTINE — The current national supply chain crisis has highlighted a need for an increased number of supply chain logistics workers both in the U.S. and abroad. Maine Maritime Academy’s International Business and Logistics (IBL) degree program is using hands-on education from expert faculty members to train the next generation of supply chain logistics professionals through the only logistics degree program of its kind available in New England.

The Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) IBL program uses immersive education to provide students with experience in global commerce and marine transportation. MMA’s logistics lab allows students to gain real-world supply chain management experience through directly working with a simulated production line, warehouse operation, and inventory system. Students prepare for real-world scenarios and common supply chain issues and are therefore ready to use innovative solutions to solve these problems in the workforce upon graduation.

Many MMA graduates are currently working in the supply chain logistics industry to combat the current supply chain shortages throughout the nation.

“Our graduates have more than a basic understanding of logistics networks; they are problem solvers,” says David Sorich, Assistant Professor of International Business and Logistics. “We have alumni with specialized expertise working in the areas of Shipping, Port Operations, Warehousing, Rail Carriers, and Motor Transportation.”

“When issues in the supply chain arise, they are the ones identifying the causes and developing solutions to satisfy customer requirements,” Sorich explains. “During this current crisis, our graduates are using their skills and talents to improve port operation efficiency to clear the backlog of waiting cargo ships, reviewing alternatives to ‘normal operations’, and re-evaluating motor transport.”

“Effectively managing today’s historically disrupted global supply chain would not be possible without agile leadership skills and practical knowledge learned at the Academy,” says Jay Harris, President of Komar Distribution Services and a 1973 graduate of MMA. “In my experience, our graduates’ ability to apply knowledge and solve real-world logistical challenges is unparalleled.”

Maine is a largely coastal state and a nationally-recognized leader in maritime management, making Maine Maritime Academy the prime spot for future merchant mariners and industry professionals to gain a hands-on education in state-of-the-art labs and classrooms, onboard the Training Ship State of Maine, Tug Pentagoet, or Schooner Bowdoin. To learn more about the Academy’s International Business and Logistics program, please visit mainemaritime.edu.