When people think "robots," they often envision vaguely humanoid sci-fi-movie beings with strange speech patterns. But today’s state-of-the-art robots are a far cry from that outdated stereotype. And they are showing up for work.

In the debate over why the U.S. has been so slow to emerge from the Great Recession, many have laid the blame on what's become known as the skills gap: Despite an abundance of workers, too many simply aren't qualified to fill the jobs available. Even now that hiring is running at its fastest clip since the late 1990s, business and industry groups such as the Chamber of Commerce continue to emphasize the damage the skills gap is doing to the economy. So do a lot of consulting firms.

A discussion about the talent gap in supply chain management – and what 3PL Transplace is doing about it – with Adrianne Court, chief human resources officer, and Blake Whicker, a graduate of the company's New Grad Professional Development Program.

Michigan State and Penn State have tied for first place in Gartner's ranking of top undergraduate programs in supply chain management. The University of Tennessee came next, followed by the University of Texas, Western Michigan and another tie, between Brigham Young and North Texas universities.

APICS has announced that it has completed its merger with Supply Chain Council, creating a global provider of supply chain research, education and certification programs.