Ballad has opened a new office in Grande Prairie and launched another new program: The Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management!
“It has been a really exciting last few weeks. I’m looking forward to building relationships and getting to know the students in the Grande Prairie area. And we have industry partners in central Alberta that I’m excited to strengthen and connect with the GP students.” Said Sydney Schneider, Training and Operations Manager at Ballad.
Ballad has been busy during the last few weeks setting up the training centre, onboarding our new Grande Prairie team members, and launching the program.
The new 20-week program is designed to prepare students for career opportunities such as Purchasing Agents and Officers, Retail and Wholesale Buying, Purchasing and Inventory Control Workers, Shippers and Receivers, and Material Handlers. The first cohort was 100% subscribed with 16 students.
“The program is meant for students that are seeking a career change. The curriculum builds on their skills from previous jobs and industries and upskills them for a new industry. ” Said Schneider.
This is the first time Ballad has delivered this program, and it’s already off to a great start.
“I am really enjoying the content and I also really like the Instructor. It is lovely to have people from all different backgrounds and being able to relate the information we are learning into our previous jobs.” Said a program participant.
“Instruction has also been great, knowledgeable, and good back and forth.. All around 5/5. It’s unheard of that a first-time course runs so smoothly.” Said another program participant.
The classroom portion of the program provides the fundamental supply chain education through a combination of Ballad’s curriculum and the Certification in Logistics and Transportation and Distribution course delivered through the Association of Supply Chain Management (ASCM). In addition, students will complete employment readiness certifications and employment preparation skills workshops to build critical thinking, time management, and customer relations skills.
Participants will transition from the classroom to be matched with one of Ballad’s industry partners, completing an eight-week work placement to ensure they are job-market ready.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of supply chain workers. The supply chain sector supports several industries, including manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail, construction, oil and gas, and public works. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to occupy similar roles across these areas, providing them with a high degree of resiliency against future economic shifts.
“I’d really like to deliver this program in more regions and continue to support unemployed Albertans across the province. The supply chain industry is going through some major changes, and we want to be apart of that.” Said Schneider.
How to Get Involved:
Employers: Ballad is currently building relationships with employment partners across central Alberta. If you’re interested in providing a work placement opportunity for students please get in touch.
Interested Students: Visit the Fundamentals of Supply Chain page on the Ballad website to register and learn more.