WASHINGTON – The NRF Foundation and the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) Foundation today announced the launch of a new Warehouse, Inventory and Logistics certificate for retail employees. The program will be offered as the newest credential as part of the NRF Foundation’s RISE Up skills training portfolio.
"The Warehouse, Inventory and Logistics credential will give job seekers and employees the training they need to navigate the complex supply chain challenges retailers currently face."
“Ecommerce and supply chains are increasingly essential to our economy,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “The Warehouse, Inventory and Logistics credential will give job seekers and employees the training they need to navigate the complex supply chain challenges retailers currently face. Expanding our workforce within this critical area will help to meet the current and quickly growing consumer demand, positioning the retail industry for future success.”
Created to address some of the supply chain issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the credential will target current and future potential employees interested in supply chains or working in warehouses, distribution or fulfillment centers. The educational program highlights the increasing importance of warehouse, distribution and similar facilities and their workers to both the retail industry and the U.S. economy. These employees are essential to the infrastructure of thousands of retail businesses.
The credential trains workers on the importance of supply chains and the flow of goods, the design and operation of a warehouse/distribution/fulfillment center, and safety measures and techniques, among other skills needed to succeed. Additionally, it allows participants to explore the multitude of jobs and career paths available within this growing area.
“This program provides a solid foundation for students and others to launch their supply chain careers,” said ASCM CEO Abe Eshkenazi, CSCP, CPA, CAE. “Working in supply chain not only provides financial stability, but also an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.”
The number of warehouse and distribution center jobs has grown by 56 percent in the last five years. With more than 1,470,000 jobs in the warehouse industry, the announcement comes as retailers look to fill over 400,000 warehouse-related job openings nationwide. These skilled jobs offer competitive pay with an average entry-level wage of $19.88.
RISE Up is the NRF Foundation training and credentialing program that provides foundational employability skills to help individuals find and develop careers in retail and beyond. The NRF Foundation has helped more than 425,000 people earn RISE Up credentials to date.
The ASCM Foundation works with private foundations and public organizations to address pressing global challenges with a specific focus on building frontier and humanitarian supply chains, STEM and career awareness, workforce development, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
For more information visit nrffoundation.org/riseup.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com
About NRF Foundation
The NRF Foundation builds the bridge between a growing industry with hundreds of thousands of open positions and job seekers around the country. Through education, training, scholarships and experiences for job seekers of all ages and backgrounds, we help more people take their first steps toward promising careers. The NRF Foundation is the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of the National Retail Federation and is funded in part by generous donations from retail industry supporters. nrffoundation.org
About ASCM
The Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) is the global pacesetter for resilience-building corporate transformation, industry leadership and professional development. As the largest nonprofit association for supply chain, ASCM members and worldwide alliances fuel innovation and inspire forward-looking accountability in order to establish dynamic, ethical and sustainable global networks. ASCM is built on a foundation of world-class APICS education, certification and career resources, which encompass the latest supply chain content, award-winning workforce development, groundbreaking standards and a diverse community of professionals who are driven to create a better world through supply chain. For more information, visit ASCM.org
About ASCM Foundation
The Association for Supply Chain Management Foundation is the philanthropic channel of ASCM. The Foundation was established in 2019 to take ambitious new actions to solve critical problems and maximize the extraordinary opportunity to create a better world through supply chain. For more information, visit ascm.org/foundation/.