The Supply Chain Talent Academic Initiative (SCTAI) is seeking additional participants as well as industry funding, says founding member Jake Barr, a director of manufacturing, planning and logistics for Procter & Gamble. "We welcome fresh perspectives and ideas," says Barr. "Companies that provide direct financial support will have direct input into the initiative's priorities, and will also have access to a supply chain management grant-making simulation that is under development." Companies that have provided financial support to date include: The Boeing Company, IBM, Intel Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics, Procter & Gamble and Whirlpool Corporation.

The Supply Chain Talent Academic Initiative (SCTAI) leverages experience and leadership from all sectors of industry and academia to enrich the supply chain talent pool. SCTAI is a global partnership that began as a call to action at the 2007 Supply Chain Council World Conference to meet a critical need for skills-savvy supply chain professionals.

SCTAI members include individuals from major universities and corporations, as well as leading supply management and operations management associations, including Institute for Supply Managementâ"žÂ¢, APICS The Association for Operations Management and Supply Chain Council. Participating consultancies and academic institutions include Gartner, Michigan State University, The Pennsylvania State University and University of Texas - Austin.

The initiative is designed to benefit the profession as a whole. Participants have embarked on research, workshops and cross-industry projects that support several goals:

1) Identify industry competency requirements for supply chain talent, and provide forecasts of those requirements for university program planning

2) Assist universities and other educational institutions in building programs to meet those competency requirements

3) Market the supply chain profession as a career of choice

SCTAI participants agree to share non-competitive materials, programs and best practices. Materials that result from collaborative efforts will be available in the public domain. 

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