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Niagara College Institute for Global Education and Training

100 Niagara College Boulevard

Welland, Ontario, L3C 7L3, Canada

Hours of Operation

Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. EDT

Story:

Supporting Jamaica as a Global Logistics Hub Through Vocational Education

Supporting Jamaica as a Global Logistics Hub Through Vocational Education

About this Project

Country:

Jamaica

Project Type:

Program Development, Institutional Strengthening

Sector:

Business

Delivery Format:

In-Person

Partners:

Excelsior Community College; Marine Institute; Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Global Affairs Canada, Caribbean Community and Common Market.

Project Year & Length:

2014-2017; Three Years

The Opportunity

  • The expansion of the Panama Canal provided an opportunity for Jamaica to expand its port facilities to attract international sea traffic.
  • Jamaica was looking to become an important global logistics hub, but the workforce needed to be trained in key skill areas to meet current and future demand.
  • The country needed to invest in the development of a sustainable workforce that could address the changes of an emerging national industry.
  • Colleges were looking to ensure their program development and delivery skills were linked to industry needs and focused on student success.

Our Approach

  • Developed a Logistics Management program to supply the sector with industry-ready employees.
  • Worked with Excelsior Community College and the Marine Institute to develop a career program in logistics management that would address key skill areas:
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Humanitarian and Emergency Management
    • Coastal and Tourism Logistics
  • Designed market-driven programs with a student-centred teaching approach, all grounded in industry consultation and partnerships.
  • Established an employer engagement model that includes:
    • Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) program development
      • DACUM is a process that incorporates the use of a focus group in a facilitated storyboarding process to capture the major duties and related tasks included in an occupation
    • Program advisory committees
    • Work-integrated learning
    • Post-graduate pathways for career success.

Partner Outcomes and Success

  • The Logistics program was successfully developed and launched, providing students with options for:
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Humanitarian and Emergency Management
    • Coastal and Tourism Logistics
  • An enhanced industry-driven program design and delivery model was implemented supported by student-centered learning and industry engagement.
  • The partnership provides Jamaican business students with a clear pathway to gain international business and educational experiences in Canada.

Niagara College's Institute for Global Education and Training

We are highly skilled at deploying unique, tailored applied education solutions to global challenges one community at a time.