KANE Gives Secondary School Educators a Lesson in Logistics

Educators in the Workplace is a program that allows secondary school educators to spend a week learning the technical skills, behaviors and mindsets high school students need to succeed in today's business environment. 

The program, offered through a collaboration between the Lackawanna County Workforce Development Board and Skills in Scranton, provides full-immersion work experiences in logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, finance and information technology. 

KANE volunteered to assist organizers and recently hosted a group of teachers, administrators and guidance counselors at its Scranton, PA campus.  Participants got a hands-on look at the business of supply chain management and what actually happens in a distribution warehouse and trucking terminal.

"Too many local high school students think that, in order to build a career, they need to move out of Northeast Pennsylvania," said KANE's Sr. Marketing Director, Alex Stark, who coordinated the educators' visit at KANE.  "But there are tremendous career opportunities locally, particularly in logistics – one of today's fastest growing fields."

Both KANE staff and the educators benefited from the experience. Educators use the experience to better link students' classroom learning with real-world applications. For its part, KANE gains a better understanding of what is taught in the classroom and can inform educators of the specific types of skills needed in a logistics environment – and hopefully lay the groundwork for future hires. 

Stark notes that students who may want to experience life in other parts of the country, shouldn't be dissuaded from starting their careers in the Scranton area.  "In fact, a local job could actually be springboard to other opportunities," says Stark. "At KANE, just in the last year, we have seen growth at our Allentown, PA, Atlanta and Los Angeles campuses. That growth has created opportunities for promotion and voluntary relocation for some of our managers."