A recent survey of 37,000 global employers performed by staffing firm Manpower reported that 36 percent say they're having trouble filling available positions. Of those respondents, 35 percent cite a lack of hard skills or "technical competencies" as the reason, while 25 percent cite a lack of experience and 19 percent say a lack of soft skills makes it difficult to fill available roles.

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.

Through exclusive education certificate programs and an extensive agenda of industry conferences, APICS Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advances supply chain and operations management innovation through research, publications, education and talent development, provides professionals with critical skills in sales and operations planning (S&OP) and supply chain risk management, two programs fundamental to a company’s ability to optimize their supply chains.