Business, Feature, Freight News, Logistics, People

New degree to ‘create tomorrow’s supply chain leaders’

[ February 14, 2013   //   Chris ]

The Novus Trust has set up what it says is a new type of degree to address the shortage of graduate talent in the supply chain and logistics industry. The four-year Logistics and Supply Chain BSc degree course, initially at Huddersfield University, is sponsored by companies in the industry.

The course covers supply chain management, finance, statistics, organisational structure and methods, sociology, psychology, transport network design, warehouse design, inventory management, supply chain IT and HR management. The core course will also be supplemented with managerial ‘craft skills’ such as leadership, people management and communication.

Some 15 retailers, manufacturers and logistics organisations have already signed up; many others are interested and the Novus Trust is inviting others to join.

As an educational initiative, set up and initially based at The University of Huddersfield, NOVUS is introducing a 4-year Logistics and Supply Chain BSc degree course. It covers supply chain management, finance, statistics, organisational structure and methods, sociology and psychology, transport network design, warehouse design, inventory management, supply chain IT and HR management. In addition, the ‘core’ degree course will be supplemented with further content covering the ‘craft skills’ required to effectively manage, e.g. leadership, people-management and communication. In fact, the course will give a student all the tools needed to develop a successful career in logistics.

As an educational initiative, set up and initially based at The University of Huddersfield, the Novus degree is run on a ‘not-for-profit’ basis by The Novus Trust, a management team of supply chain and logistics professionals.

Andy Kaye, chair of The Novus Trust steering committee, said: “In creating a degree by the industry for the industry, NOVUS Founder Members will be able to tailor the course content and selection criteria of graduates into their own business recruitment strategies.”

The first students commence their NOVUS degree in September 2013 at Huddersfield University.

After two years, the trust aims to roll the Novus degree out to other universities, and wants to enlist 450 students per year.

Tags: Huddersfield University, Logistics and Supply Chain BSc degree, Novus Trust