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Are Women the Solution to Supply Chain Labor Shortage?

Jan. 27, 2014
management

In the next two years Canada will be facing a huge labor shortage in the supply chain sector.

By 2017 there will be approximately 360,000 supply chain job vacancies nationally, according to the Canadian Supply Sector Council.

The reason for the shortage can be attributed to the low awareness and understanding of the sector paired with its aging workforce. The issue of low awareness of the field is particularly true when it comes to women who are underrepresentation in industries such as manufacturing, supply chain, transportation and logistics.

According to a study by Deloitte in 2013 on women as untapped resources in the manufacturing industry, 51% of women attributed the narrow female margin to the perception of male bias. The stigmatization of the industry as male-centric and warranting hard technical skills is fundamental in the determent of highly valuable female interest and talent.

"Common thought has long since been leadership equals male, but a shift now, more than ever, is needed in thinking that leader can also equal female,” said Corrie Banks, President, Triskele Logistics Ltd.

Read more on women in the supply chain on Material Handling & Logistics.

Material Handling & Logistics is an NED companion site within Penton's Manufacturing & Supply Chain Group.