ProMat 2015 will feature a Supply Chain Workforce Summit on March 25 and 26 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The Summit will focus on how you can start now to develop your future workforce in material handling and logistics. 

“Between now and 2018, there will be 1.4 million new jobs in logistics and supply chain. However, educational institutions can graduate only 30% of that workforce, says Daniel Stanton, MHI Vice President of Education and Professional Development. “Meanwhile, there is amazing turnover and change in the jobs and careers within the existing workforce. That requires people with many new skills and abilities just to keep pace with the increasing complexity of supply chains.”

The Summit will include nine sessions over two days that will bring attendees up to speed on how to find, train and retain the right workforce. This is a chance to hear what leaders are doing already and how to adopt best practices. All Summit sessions are free to ProMat attendees by registering to attend at www.ProMatShow.com. 

Summit Agenda

March 25 

2:15pm - 3:15pm

Keynote Panel: Find, Train, Retain Your Workforce for 2025

Moderator - Bob Trebilcock, Supply Chain Management Review 

Panel: Betsey Nohe, Morton Salt | Jeff LeClair, Caterpillar |John Caltagirone, Loyola's Supply and Value Chain Center

3:30pm - 4:30pm

Movers and Shakers Panel: Chicago Supply Chain Workforce of the Future

Moderator - John Caltagirone, Loyola's Supply and Value Chain Center

Panel: Harry Haney, Kraft | Bill Seliger, R. R. Donnelly |William Frain, CBRE | Doug Whitley, Supply Chain Innovation Network of Chicago

March 26

Practitioners Track

10:15am - 11:15am

Find - Recognizing the Changing Workforce 

Moderator - Gary Forger, MHI 

Panel: Liz Richards, Executive Vice President, Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association| Col. Reed Hudgins, U.S. Army | Randy Lewis, Author, No Greatness Without Goodness

11:30am - 12:30pm

Train - Bridging Competency Gaps

Moderator - Jan Bray, Bray Strategies

Panel: Nick Little, Michigan State and Supply Chain Talent Academic Initiative | Sharon Rice, APICS | Leo Reddy, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council | Daniel Stanton, MHI

12:45pm - 1:45 pm

Retain - Rethinking Material Handling and Logistics Career Paths

Moderator - Don Benson, University of Portland 

Panel:Ann Drake, Chairman and CEO, DSC Logistics | Matt Weinberg, Center Of Excellence Specialist, Guthy-Renker | Michael Mikitka, CEO, Warehousing Education Research Council

Educators Track

10:15am - 11:15am

Partnering with Industry

Panel: Ed Bond, Bradley University | Kimberly Ellis, Virginia Tech |  Rob Handfield, North Carolina State | Bart Jennings, Western Illinois University

11:30am - 12:30pm

Flipping the Classroom

12:45pm - 1:45pm

Learning through Games

Speakers: Chuck Nemer, The Fresh Connection

The ProMat 2015 Workforce Summit is sponsored by:

•U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics

•MHI

•Material Handling Education Foundation

•College Industry Council on Material Handling Education

•Career Education Technical Program

•Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association

•Warehousing Education & Research Council

•Association of Professional Material Handling Consultants

•APICS

•Supply Chain Talent Academic Initiative

ProMat will be held March 23-26, 2015 at Chicago's McCormick Place. For more event information, visit www.ProMatShow.com.

ProMat is produced by MHI. MHI is an international trade association that has represented the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry since 1945. MHI members include material handling, logistics and supply chain equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers, and third party logistics providers. The association sponsors trade events, such as ProMat and MODEX to showcase the products and services of its member companies and to educate manufacturing and supply chain professionals on the productivity solutions provided through material handling and logistics.