Event for Educator’s Introduces Careers in the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL) Industry

Center-of-Workforce-Innovations-Indiana-Bev-Collage-09-17-15On Thursday, September 10, over 30 area middle school and high school counselors attended a program that introduced them to the industry of Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL). This tour is one of many that are being conducted by READY NWI and the Indiana Works Council of Northwest Indiana, that provide an up-close view and hands-on demonstrations related to the jobs and careers in high demand industries.

The event included informational sessions and tours at Schneider in Gary and Indiana Beverage in Valparaiso. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Schneider is an 80-year old provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services. Offering the broadest portfolio of services in the industry, Schneider solutions include Van Truckload, Dedicated, Regional, Bulk, Intermodal, Brokerage, Supply Chain Management, and Port Logistics services throughout North America and China. Participants heard from Schneider team members on workplace skills they look for, certifications, and what it takes to gain employment at their company. Many of the educators tried out a training truck driving simulator and quickly realized that loading and driving a truck requires a lot of technical skills, including math and science.

After a brief lunch and presentation by TDL consultant and educator Allen Williams, they visited the Indiana Beverage headquarters and warehouse in Valparaiso. Since 1939, Indiana Beverage has been a family-owned wholesaler that distributes over 1,100 brands of beer to stores, restaurants, hotels, taverns, and other retail outlets throughout Northern Indiana. Their distribution and warehousing practices serve as an ideal model when it comes to showcasing how products move from distribution centers to sales outlets. The group was welcomed by George Douglas, general manager and several of his team, where they learned about the process of transporting, logistics, and warehousing on both small scale and large scale.

“Being able to see how products move from one point to another and what jobs are required to do so, was key on this tour,” said Sandra Alvarez READY NWI representative. “Being able to take what they’ve learned today and share the career information with their students is the objective of these tours,” Alvarez added.

For further information regarding the TDL tour or future industry tours, contact Sandra Alvarez at 219-462-2940, ext. 33 or salvarez@innovativeworkforce.com.