The supply chain industry is struggling to attract young talent says Bastian Consulting, a supply chain recruitment company focused on sourcing leaders across Australia and the Asia Pacific.
The company conducted a survey of more than 500 supply chain executives from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand. It revealed that the overwhelming majority of respondents think graduates are unlikely to apply for roles in supply chain.
The findings
- 72% of respondents said graduates are more likely to explore roles in sectors other than supply chain.
- 76% of respondents said there is not enough being done to raise awareness of the opportunities available in the supply chain.
- 70% said organisations are lacking in apprenticeships or graduate recruitment program opportunities.
- 48% of respondents said there is an ageing workforce issue in supply chain.
- 51% of respondents said technology has changed the type of skillsets required in supply chain roles.
Tony Richter, Founder of Bastian Consulting, says one of the biggest issues facing the supply chain industry is a lack of talent.
“This is clearly being felt across the entire APAC region,” he says.
“While there is a lot of investment going into technology, the industry needs to do more to invest in raising awareness of the profession as well as market the many opportunities available to young people.”
Mr Richter says creating an inclusive culture, equal opportunities and career development programs alongside “a united effort to demonstrate that this industry is more than just forklifts and warehouses”, should be high on the agenda for any business looking to attract new talent in this sector.
The findings of Bastion Consulting’s research can be found its ‘How to make supply chain a desirable career across APAC’ report. It can be downloaded in full from: bconsult.lpages.co/how-to-make-supply-chain-a-desirable-career.