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Preparing young logistics professionals for the future

30 March 2022

The cooperation between KLG Europe and Fontys is in the interest of creating a learning culture on the workplace. Innovative training programs are drawn up together for the professionals of the future.

PREPARING LOGISTICS STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS FOR NEW COMPETENCES

The challenges in the logistics sector are significant. Recruiting and retaining personnel is becoming increasingly difficult. At the same time, new technologies are influencing business operations. Through innovative training programs, Fontys prepares students and professionals for the future. KLG Europe and Vervoerscollege Venlo are enthusiastic about the collaboration and endorse the importance of a learning culture on the workplace.

Standing still is going backwards. Certainly in logistics. Smart techniques and systems are making their appearance: robotization, artificial intelligence (AI), big data and Internet of Things (IoT). “This makes companies more efficient, safer and more sustainable,” says Danny Jonker, a lecture at Fontys in Venlo. “That does require employees to acquire the competencies to work with these new techniques and systems.”

Challenges

Fontys not only educates students in Venlo, but also focuses on education in a broad sense. This includes the Logistics Learning Without Borders project. Jonker: “We started the project in 2019, responding to a growing number of vacancies in combination with a high outflow. The cooperation with Hogescholen PXL from Hasselt is special. The provinces of Dutch-Limburg and Belgian-Limburg and Interreg Flanders-Netherlands- are contributing to the financing of this project, which also indicates the high need to take action.

Beforehand, logistics managers were asked what the most important developments are for the next five years and what they expect from their employees. In addition to learning digital skills, these include analytical thinking skills and soft skills. Based on this, a program was put together, consisting of webinars, virtual classrooms, college tours and company internships.”

KLG Europe is one of the participating companies. “We encourage a learning culture,” says Yvonne Peeters, executive assistant at KLG Europe. “This means that you have to allow mistakes to be made. By offering employees training opportunities, they continue to develop. It reduces the outflow of staff, because employees feel challenged. Furthermore, the introduction of new techniques and systems makes it important that the theory taught at school matches the practice. So you have to bring your future employees, the students, into contact with this at an early stage.”

“Dare to encourage a learning culture on the workplace”

KLG is opening its doors. “Soon, together wit the Fontys, we will be organizing a student challenge for first-year students. My appeal to companies: dare to open up. I understand that this is sometimes difficult; you are going to share information after all. On the other hand, you may know the ingredients, but that does not mean you will reveal the recipe. Just by showing what happens on the workplace, you can make students enthusiastic.

Lifelong development

Once employed in the logistics, the development of skills continues. “KLG Europe understands like no other that you need to make employees eager to keep learning”, says Roy Fleuren, director at Vervoerscollege Venlo.  If you know at which level your employees are acting, you also know how strong the organization is and where you have gaps in your personnel policy. That is how you work towards a competence-based organization.”

Vervoerscollege Venlo has been active for years as a training provider within transport an logistics. “Functions change rapidly. Learning on the job is becoming increasingly important. As with the Logistics Learning Without Borders project, it is important to offer accessible practice-oriented information.

“Continuous development to challenge and retain employees”

KLG Europe and Vervoerscollege Venlo see the project as a boost. Peeters also sees the cooperation with the Belgian university as an added value. “Our branch in Eersel could not function without Belgian colleagues. Many Belgians speak French, which is why we are always looking for Belgian colleagues.” Jonkers adds: “The challenge of logistics in Dutch-Limburg and Belgian-Limburg are of the same nature. By taking on projects like this together, we can learn form each other. Cooperation is the key to success.”

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Roy Fleuren (director of Vervoerscollege Venlo), Yvonne Peeters (executive assistant KLG Europe) and Danny Jonker (lecturer/ researcher Fontys).

Source (in Dutch): https://www.ondernemendvenlo.nl/

Website Fontys: https://fontys.edu/

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