Why is learning and development important in the workplace?
Employees are the backbone of a company and investing in their learning and development is “always good for the bottom line” according to Forbes.
At Powerline, learning and development in supply chain is specifically important as we grow and invest in our employees and evolve as a logistics company.
In this post:
- Why Invest in L&D?
- The Logistics Institute
- CITT
- The Power of Personal Development
Let’s start with why investing in learning and development is important, no matter your industry.
Why Invest in Workplace Learning and Development?
Investing in learning and development has at least five major benefits.
- Improves employee satisfaction
- Improves company morale
- Increases innovation and performance
- Boosts employer reputation
- Encourages growth in an ever-changing business landscape
Learning and development (L&D) can occur informally and formally.
Informal learning is the most common method of learning and it generally happens on the job when learning a new task from a co-worker or through self-teaching.
Formal training is more structured and is often associated with an institution where obtaining a set of objectives or skills is the end goal.
Both informal and formal learning are important and encouraged in the workplace. However, investing in formal L&D may yield more growth in less time. Successful L&D programs take into consideration employee growth for future performance rather than immediate career role improvement.
At Powerline, we believe in building an employee culture that is rooted in learning and development.
Some of the top education programs for logistics and supply chain include the Logistics Institute and CITT.
The Logistics Institute
The Logistics Institute is a not-for-profit professional organization that certifies professionals in the supply chain and logistics industry.
It certifies Professional Logisticians (P.Log.), which over 3,000 Canadian’s have obtained to date.
By creating the P.Log. and other designations (LS, SC), the Logistics Institute is working to establish a set of global standards and strategies in the field of logistics.
Programming at The Logistics Institutes ensures that graduates have a deep understanding of core leadership and supply chain concepts including:
- Problem-solving
- Solution implementation
- Ethics and values
- Responsibilities
- Team management
- Adaptability
- Supply chain strategies
- Logistics processes
- Integrated networks
- Managing inter-organizational relationships
- Developing strategic customer relationships
The Logistics Institutes is not only producing supply chain professionals but also leaders in the supply chain field.
Canadian Institue of Traffic and Transportation
CITT (Canadian Institute of Traffic and Transportation) is a non-profit learning and development industry focused on delivering expert learning opportunities through specialized logistics courses.
Established in 1958, CITT is the leader in supply chain and logistics certification.
This certification gives supply chain and logistics companies a competitive edge by creating qualified logistics employees through its comprehensive designation.
Important skills learned in the CCLP program at CITT include:
- Total supply chain lead-time variability
- Total cost
- Order fulfillment lead time
- Inventory turns
- Supply chain assets utilization
- Total supply chain lead-time
- Customer service level or fill-rate
- Sales revenue
- Market-share
- Market value
This program produces experts in the field of supply chain and logistics.
The Power of Personal Development
Personal development is career development.
Investing in employee development benefits both the employee and the company.
At an individual level, further learning gives the employee the tools necessary to be experts in their field.
At an industry level, it allows companies to stay up-to-date on emerging industry trends in the supply chain industry.