To further support the development of next generation purchasing and supply chain professionals, AIAG and Wayne State University expand their joint certification program to include students at a logistics university in Poland.
SOUTHFIELD, Michigan, September 12, 2017— What began as a collaborative academic venture between two local entities—Wayne State University (WSU) and the Automotive Action Group (AIAG)—has expanded to include a new partner: The International University of Logistics and Transport (IULT) in Wroclaw, Poland. In early 2018, IULT students will have the opportunity to participate in the same non-degree certificate program as their U.S. counterparts at WSU, to study purchasing and supply chain management.
The joint WSU/AIAG program, which is in its fifth year overall, and kicking off its first year at IULT, is geared toward high potential candidates from OEM, Tiers 1 and 2, 3rd party logistics providers, and service and carrier organizations. “Students come from all different backgrounds,” explains Joel Karczewski, vice president, commercial services at AIAG. “Some participants have never taken a supply chain management course, others have been exposed to supply chain concepts in college, and still others have training in related areas due to previous supply chain programs.”
To provide the most comprehensive educational experience for all students involved (both locally and overseas at IULT) sessions include a mix of classroom discussions and lectures, a company related project and presentation, cases, tours, internet sessions, and simulations. At IULT, the majority of sessions will be conducted by IULT faculty, with a small portion of classroom meetings run by AIAG or WSU lecturers. Additionally, over 30 percent of lectures will be conducted online and made available to students through AIAG’s e-learning platform.
Another unique aspect of this program is the fact that industry professionals join academic faculty for the majority of classes, and offer insights from their “hands-on” experiences working in the automotive industry. “This sort of cooperation between industry and academia is truly unique,” Karczewski notes. “By bringing together different types of subject matter experts—faculty at the university, and automotive supply chain management professionals—participants benefit from a diversity of viewpoints.”
In its entirety, the program consists of more than twenty classroom meetings divided into winter and fall sessions. The primary objective throughout is to provide participants with a thorough understanding of supply chain issues in the context of the global vehicle industry, however, subjects vary from meeting to meeting. Topics include purchasing and supplier development, risk management, inbound logistics, after-market parts management, and outbound vehicle transportation.
Successful completion of the program entitles both WSU and IULT students to receive the same WSU/AIAG non-degree auto industry certificate in purchasing and supply chain management.
“We look forward to hearing the success stories that are sure to come out of this new partnership with IULT,” Karczewski concludes. “In addition to promoting pervasive access and utilization of AIAG trainings and solutions, these collaborations support the professional growth of the next generation, which makes us excited to see what the future holds.”
For more information on local course offerings, visit our website here.
About AIAG
Created by the auto industry for the auto industry, AIAG is a not-for-profit organization with more than 35 years of experience working with OEMs, suppliers, service providers, government, and academia to collaboratively drive down costs and streamline the complexity of the supply chain by developing global standards and harmonizing business practices. There are more than 2,200 AIAG member companies, including Arctic Cat, Caterpillar, FCA — North America, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Harley-Davidson, Honda of America Manufacturing, Nissan North America, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Volkswagen Group of America, and many of their part suppliers and service providers. Learn more at www.aiag.org.
About the Mike Ilitch School of Business
The Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business prepares students for challenging and rewarding careers, advances the boundaries of scholarly and practitioner knowledge, and enhances the economic vitality of the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and beyond through its programs, research and community engagement. Established in 1946, the business school was renamed in 2015 in recognition of a $40 million gift from Mike and Marian Ilitch. Thanks to this lead investment, a new state-of-the-art building is slated to open in the heart of the District Detroit in 2018, and entrepreneurial programming and collaboration with city businesses are expanding. For more information, visit ilitchbusiness.wayne.edu.