Logistics provider Schnellecke and recruitment agency Core Focus Personnel have revealed a new work experience pilot for students taking place this month at Schnellecke’s site in McCalla, near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
McCalla-based Core Focus Personnel, which specialises in providing staff and training services to tier one and two suppliers around central Alabama, has chosen 12 graduating local high school students aged 18 to take part in the initiative, none of whom plan to attend college or have any particular direction in mind for their future after school.
“Through this week-long programme, we are going to be exposing these students to the world of automotive logistics,” said Core Focus’ co-founder, CJ Richardson. “We will be covering the process flows throughout the logistics centre and explaining to them why each process is important. They will be taught how to drive a forklift and a tow motor (tugger), as well how to sequence parts to production orders.”
The students will also have some classroom training where topics such as workplace etiquette, monthly budgeting and effective communication will be covered.
“At the completion of the training, successful students will receive an employment offer to work with Schnellecke,” Richardson told Automotive Logistics.
Longer term, Core Focus plans to offer the programme to ten high schools in the area
“Not all young people want to enter the automotive industry,” said Richardson, who worked in finished vehicle logistics in Alabama before helping set up Core Focus five years ago. “We believe it is our responsibility to engage the next generation to attract them to our industry and programmes like this are the model we see as successful tools to reach them.
“A lot of times, we find our young people are interested in working in the automotive industry, but do not know how to get into the industry. We believe this programme will allow us to be the catalyst that can connect a great group of people to an industry that can be a career,” he added.
