the educator mag May 24 (1) - Flipbook - Page 76
Sparking passions
and nurturing talent.
How the Generation Logistics Education Hub is helping to give
teachers and careers advisors the resources they need to help
highlight career pathways for young people in the logistics sector.
When children are asked what they want to do
when they grow up they generally don’t say
logistics.
They say things like footballer, astronaut, scientist, police officer,
popstar, even influencer. By the time they are beginning to make
important decisions about the future, those ambitions may have
broadened and diversified, but there’s likely to be at least one
consistent: there’s still no-one saying logistics.
Why? Well, first and foremost, because they probably don’t know
what logistics is. And if they do, it’s quite possible what they know is
vague, or oversimplified, or just perhaps just wrong. They’ll know all
about next day deliveries, fully-stocked supermarket shelves and AI
and robotics… but they probably won’t know that all of these things
are part of the logistics. Or that this is a sector that enables all of the
other sectors in the global economy to function. Worse, they won’t
know about the incredible career opportunities and pathways that
logistics can provide. Indeed, our data suggests that 90% of young
people have never considered the sector as a career option.
This is the problem that the Generation Logistics Education Hub
exists to solve. Generation Logistics is a sector funded, Government
supported initiative that seeks to raise awareness of the potential of
logistics careers with young people from school year 7 and above,
right through to further or higher education. The Generation
Logistics Education Hub is an offshoot of the campaign - recognising that teachers and careers advisors often don’t have the available
resources and information to help students understand the
opportunities of the sector. With that front of mind, the Education
Hub offers a wide range of subject specific teaching resources
(including lesson plans and activity ideas) for Key Stages 3, 4 and 5.
All the resources on site are free, downloadable and fully aligned
with the National Curriculum, covering key objectives across Maths,
Geography and Business Studies. First and foremost, the aim of the
resources is to link subjects that students enjoy to the logistics
sector. Each does so through the context of practical, real world
scenarios demonstrating the practical, real world relevance of the
learning. However, along the way, in situating those concepts
within such a dynamic sector, they also seek to create a conversation
around future opportunities; to give educators and students alike
a greater awareness of a logistics sector, one which requires a vast
range of skill sets, and has the role diversity and progression
prospects to provide long-term careers.
To help develop that conversation, and give shape to the potential
career pathways within the logistics sector, the Generation
Logistics Education Hub also introduces the Generation Logistics
Ambassador Network, a collection of passionate logisticians
from some of the biggest logistics companies in the world who
have shared their stories with us. As well as providing evidence
of the aforementioned role and skillset diversity, they also help
answer some of the more pragmatic questions that many students
might have. How did you find this role? What made you want to do
it? What is your next move? How much do you get paid? You can
find detailed accounts of these Ambassadors on the Hub, but they
are also available for appearances, talks and educational events to
support educators to engage their students with the logistics sector.
Details of how to enquire about such appearances can be found
here.
Alongside the resources that sit on the Education Hub, Generation
Logistics is also launching the inaugural Generation Logistics Week
on the 24th to the 28th June 2024, packed full of sector-specific
careers content for teachers and students alike. Each day will see
one of five pre-recorded sessions going live, as well as a virtual
careers fair and guest appearances from Generation Logistics Ambassadors throughout. All content will be made available as further
resources on the Education Hub here.
The intention, as with everything that’s part of Generation Logistics,
whether it’s the Education Hub, Ambassadors, Generation Logistics
Week, or indeed the everyday content created for students as part
of the core campaign, is to change awareness and perceptions of
the sector. Like any career option, logistics won’t be right for
everyone, but it’s really important that people have the chance
to make that decision for themselves, assessing all the career
opportunities it provides and understanding the skill sets it d
emands. We know that hasn’t been happening for the logistics
sector, and that’s partly because educators simply haven’t had the
resource and curriculum-ready content to do so. Bit by bit, we’re
changing that.
The Generation Logistics Careers Booklet 2024 provides valuable
information about the many different roles within the sector,
ranging from engineering, transport and customer care to robotics
and management. Providing all of the information that teachers
need in a comprehensive, easy-to-digest downloadable guide, the
Careers Booklet is free to download from the Generation Logistics
Education Hub website: educationhub.generationlogistics.org
Generation Logistics Week on the 24th to the 28th June, 2024.
