UCM Partners With Career Education Consortium, Wagner Logistics

Jackson County high school teachers visited Wagner Logistics HQ June 4 for a tour and panel discussion about the logistics and warehouse industry.

The University of Central Missouri’s Center for Workforce and Professional Education, the fiscal agent for the Career Education Consortium (CEC), is connecting with CEC and Wagner Logistics to enhance local high school teachers’ awareness about the fast-growing Kansas City logistics and warehouse industry.

“According to KC SmartPort (kcsmartport.thinkkc.com), Kansas City currently has over 190,000 manufacturing and logistics employees in the region and growing,” said Scott Boyce, UCM Center for Workforce and Professional Education program manager. “So it makes sense to help high school educators be aware of this economic strength so they can pass it along to students that are planning their careers.”

CEC Director Gwen Poss plans, organizes and leads summer events like this for teachers from Center, Grandview, Hickman Mills, Independence, Lee's Summit and Raytown School Districts in Jackson County and is also leading this event.

“We want teachers to engage with businesses and industries in the workplace to increase their awareness of high-demand career pathways they may not know about,” Poss said. “They will better understand the technical skills, competencies, and mindsets students need to succeed in today's work environment. Ultimately, teachers will have real-time information to tie their curriculum to real-world learning applications through activities, projects and work-based learning opportunities.”

This year the logistics field will be highlighted by CEC along with advanced manufacturing and health care. This event will be held June 4-7 and kicks off at Wagner Logistics in North Kansas City.

Kansas City headquartered Wagner Logistics has agreed to host day one of the event, which will include a facility tour and a panel discussion about the state of the industry.

"This initiative not only aligns with our mission to meet the workforce development needs in Kansas City but also provides an invaluable opportunity for educators to gain firsthand knowledge about career pathways in contract warehousing, transportation, distribution and logistics,” said Joe Oliaro, vice president of sales and chief real estate officer of Wagner Logistics.

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In support of the logistics industry, the UCM Center for Workforce and Professional Education offers an eight-week evening program called Warehouse JumpStart to help individuals enter the growing logistics and warehouse field. This program includes OSHA 10, Missouri (Class 4 & 5) Forklift certification and other related skills including career management and personal effectiveness at work. For more information, visit this webpage.