There has never been a more exciting time to get into the Supply Chain Industry. The Supply Chain is one of the largest industries in Canada and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. The supply chain is the term used to describe the chain of events of a product reaching a customer from raw material sourcing to shipping, this involves a system of people, organizations, information, activities, and resources.

From raw materials sourcing to shipping, a supply chain refers to a series of events involving people, organizations, information, activities, and resources.

Increases in the Supply Chain labor force are expected to increase nationwide in a variety of job positions. Recently 2 large Retail companies, Amazon and Walmart have announced new locations in Atlantic Canada. Amazon announced last month that a property has been purchased in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Burnside area will house their new fulfillment center which aims to hire as many as 300 new employees (CBC, 2021). In addition, Walmart announced that it will open a distribution centre in Moncton, New Brunswick. The $56-million facility will open in the fall of 2022 and plans to employ more than 200 workers, this is a part of Walmart’s larger plan to build a stronger supply chain to deliver their products to customers and stores faster (CBC, 2021).

“The Atlantic region’s hidden job market has been supply chain. Moncton and Halifax are two of the top hub locations for distribution in the region and so it was not surprising that Amazon is opening a fulfillment centre in the port city, while Walmart is building a state-of-the-art distribution one in Moncton. Cargo has continued to move through borders at a rate unseen before creating new opportunities for people in the supply chain industry.” Said Tony Waddell who is a current instructor in the Supply Chain faculty at Eastern College.

In their 2016 report, “How it’s Done – Why Supply Chain Matters” it was reported that on the West coast 46,000 job openings are expected for the 2011–2020 forecast period (Supply Chain Management Association, 2016). Now in 2021 with the COVID-19 pandemic causing many industries to pivot, the supply chain has been adapting and still stands strong. “The achievements we have realized together in 2019/2020 reflects the work and effort put in bringing our corporate values to life and this new culture allowed us to quickly adapt and survive the challenges of COVID-19, and move forward with confidence.” Said Al-Azhar Khalfan President and CEO of the Supply Chain Management Association.

There are a wide variety of positions to be filled in the supply chain industry. Typical job areas in the supply chain industry are:

• Shipping/Receiving
• Logistics
• Quality Control
• Transportation
• Warehousing and Storage
• Packaging
• Procurement and Purchasing
• Strategic Sourcing
• Product and Service Development
• Inventory Control
• Manufacturing Supervision
• Materials Management
• Distribution
• Investment Recovery

Supply Chain has many opportunities for growth and mobility within the industry. The first step into entering this ever-changing field is to get an education.

To learn more about the Supply Chain and Logistics program at Eastern College check out our website: Supply Chain and Logistics

Check out our Supply Chain (Online) program that gives you the flexibility to learn from home at your own pace.