VGCC Logistics expert addresses Granville business group
Walter E. Martin, the new director for the Global Logistics Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College, was the guest speaker at the Nov. 4 meeting of the Granville Industrial and Business Club. The meeting was held at VGCC’s South Campus between Creedmoor and Butner.
Martin told the local business leaders that logistics is becoming a “hot topic” as companies realize they are losing money every day due to logistical and shipping errors. “A business’s ability to compete in the global marketplace is related to the skills and quality of their employees,” Martin said. “Logistics training can improve performance and productivity of employees and ensure they are equipped with the skills businesses need.” He added that training employees to understand how their job impacts the “bottom line” is essential in reducing costs and processing times while improving morale and feelings of contribution. “It’s essential to help employees understand how their job relates to other processes within an organization, and that success hinges on the effectiveness and efficiency of all processes,” Martin said. “Employees must be trained to become multi-skilled and cross-flowed between the various functions within a company.”
In June, VGCC, Wake Technical Community College and the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at UNC-Chapel Hill announced their new partnership, the North Carolina Consortium for Logistics Education (NCCLE), which Martin heads. The consortium offers a two-year associate degree in Global Logistics Technology, as well as certificates and short-term training. VGCC can also help design proprietary logistics training to be taught on-site for area businesses. The Global Logistics Technology Program teaches students how to become “multi-skilled” logisticians, Martin told the group. “Our program challenges students to become solution seekers and critical thinkers through individual and group logistics case study exercises,” he said.
VGCC logistics courses are available online and on-campus. Once students graduate from VGCC, they have the option of continuing their education through bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in logistics, industrial distribution or supply chain management. Those programs are also available online from East Carolina University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Graduates may find jobs in transportation, distribution, warehousing, inventory, purchasing and material management.
Martin, who holds an MBA with a Logistics Concentration, served with the United States Air Force for 25 years in various logistics management positions worldwide. In 2000, Martin developed the Global Logistics Technology curriculum for the North Carolina Community College System in collaboration with Dr. Noel Greis, director of the Center for Logistics and Digital Strategy at the Kenan Institute. He directed the logistics program at Lenoir Community College from 2000 until he joined VGCC this year. For more information on logistics training at VGCC, call Walter Martin at (252) 738-3259.
Above: Walter Martin, Director of Logistics Technology for Vance-Granville Community College, speaks at the college’s South Campus during the Nov. 4 meeting of the Granville Industrial and Business Club. (VGCC photo)
