Take a quick look at all the goods in your home or office. All of it was made, shipped, purchased, warehoused, inventoried and delivered to the store where you bought it.
That represents a lot of job opportunities, particularly in metro Atlanta. Logistics — the management of the flow of goods between an origin and a point of destination — is growing in this region. The area’s highway system, international airport, nearby ports and number of corporations and retail stores make it a regional transportation hub.
“Atlanta is home to many distribution companies and warehouses,” said Kemith Thompson, manager for supply chain management programs at Atlanta Technical College. “It’s the fifth-largest city in the country for total number of jobs in this field.”
Thompson got into the field by accident when he became bored with finance and took a job in inventory management for a large corporation. After 17 years, he was responsible for transportation, procurement and inventory in 80 warehouses.
“Atlanta Tech now offers several ways to get into supply chain management. The certificates take as little as seven weeks and, at a tuition cost of around $1,100, they are a bargain,” Thompson said.
Students can train to become certified warehousing and distribution specialists or commercial Class A truck drivers in those seven weeks.
“With the warehousing certificate, they gain two sets of skills: warehousing and operations skills, as well as a fork-lift operations certificate, which gives people an edge in the job market,” Thompson said.
Students can increase their skills and job options by earning a supply chain management diploma (tuition, $4,845) or two-year associate degree ($6,021). Both programs offer courses in marketing, business law, ethics, transportation and logistics management, and global supply chain management issues. Atlanta Tech also offers a procurement associate degree ($5,946), with many of the courses online.
All of those paths lead to entry-level jobs in warehouses or distribution companies. If students want to move into management, they can go on to earn four-year degrees at Clayton State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology or Southern Polytechnic State University.
“Eight or nine of our students have even been offered the opportunity to earn as they learn through a partnership that the department has established with Dick’s Sporting Goods warehouse facility,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s industry advisors say they are looking for dedicated workers who are problem-solvers and team players.
“I loved the problem-solving aspects of the job when I worked in the field and the satisfaction of knowing that you were making a direct impact on a company’s bottom line,” he said. “There really was never a boring day.”
Entry-level salaries range from $30,000 to $50,000 for most jobs, depending on the company and an applicant’s education and work experience.
On Nov. 15 and 16 at 6 p.m., Atlanta Tech is presenting information sessions for those interested in supply chain management, procurement or truck driving.
For information, call Kemith Thompson (404-225-4521), the Admissions office (404-225-4461) or go to www.atlantatech.edu.
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