As he looks around at the current certification environment and the companies and students that are leveraging it, ASCM’s CEO Abe Eshkenazi says the emphasis is being split between academic fundamentals and professional development.
One recent ASCM survey found that companies are especially interested in skills like critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving, most of which aren’t being taught in the traditional academic setting. Instead, they’re innate, gained on the job and/or obtained via certification or other educational programs.
Asked whether today’s certification programs are adapting to meet these needs, Eshkenazi says he’s seeing the diversification of educational content. “Traditionally, we served the industry through our certifications, which historically were a corollary for the baccalaureate or master’s degrees,” he says, noting that ASCM has since expanded its content to include both entry-level and mid-career professionals, the latter of which may be on track for career advancement and/or seeking new jobs.
Looking ahead, Eshkenazi anticipates a growing need for competency-based education in the supply chain field, where there’s a clear difference between having an academic degree and being able to run, orchestrate and manage the various aspects of a supply chain. “The expectation is that [graduates] are going to hit the ground running, and that’s a bit shortsighted given the current supply chain complexities,” Eshkenazi points out. “Yet how do we prepare these individuals? And, where do individuals go to get the foundational knowledge and experience if you don’t provide it for them?”
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