Logistics real estate investment trust Prologis Inc. announced Thursday it was expanding its training program aimed at tackling the growing need for logistics workers.
Through its Community Workforce Initiative (CWI), the San Francisco-based industrial warehouse operator is adding six locations to the training program – Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Tracy and Long Beach, California.
Through a partnership with JFF, a workforce and educational systems nonprofit, the expansion will allow Prologis PLD to train another 10,000 people for careers in transportation, distribution, and logistics over the next two years.
Prologis' CWI, established in 2018, announced last year a commitment to train 25,000 people for logistics careers by 2025. So far, the program has trained 7,000 individuals.
Prologis plans to add another nine locations in "key logistics markets" by the end of the year.
"Our customers' needs for skilled and ready labor are greater than ever," said Hamid Moghadam, Prologis chairman and CEO.
Surging e-commerce demand and the infrastructure buildout required to fulfill it has resulted in an all-time low for property vacancies. While demand for logistics properties is tight, the need for skilled workers is even higher.
The press release cited data showing employment in the distribution and logistics sectors are expected to grow 29% (from 2019 to 2022) to a total of 1.62 million. Some 735,000 workers are expected to be added to the broader transportation and warehousing category by 2031.
"Helping people acquire in-demand skills that can translate to fulfilling careers in logistics is a benefit to workers, employers, and communities," Moghadam continued. "Beyond creating new career opportunities, the program will strengthen the communities where we operate and contribute to a resilient and healthy logistics industry for years to come."
The CWI provides workers with training and job placement. The online training platform teaches basic workforce skills as well as best practices used throughout the industry. The initiative also offers a certification program in supply chain warehousing.
"COVID has had a dramatic impact on the labor market, and industry-developed training programs like Prologis CWI offer concrete opportunities to learn skills that are aligned with immediate job openings," said Nick Schultz, executive director of Pacific Gateway Workforce Innovation Network. "We've seen the positive impact the program's mix of virtual instruction, professional certification, and wraparound services can have on people's lives."
Prologis Ventures is an investor in FreightWaves.
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