In 2004, at the initiative of the Polish Logistics Association, a debate was held as part of the Educational Forum on the topic: Logistics specialist – engineer or economist?
An answer to this question was quickly found, as early as 2006 the Main Council for Higher Education adopted an educational standard for the field of logistics, which provides for two “paths” of education: engineering and economic. Meanwhile, last year, the first logistics engineers graduated from the Military University of Technology. This is therefore a special opportunity to summarize the 3.5-year period of educating engineers and to define the directions for its improvement.
Conditions for educating logistics engineers
In the author’s opinion, the most important conditions for the way logistics engineers are educated include the needs of the labor market, the required scope of knowledge and skills of an engineer regardless of their specialty, the requirements set by the educational standard for the field of study that is logistics, and the expectations of employers regarding the scope of knowledge and skills of logistics engineers.
Analyses of labor market needs show that the phenomenon of a shortage of specialists will be a global problem. According to a report prepared by the World Economic Forum in cooperation with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), by 2020 and 2030, a shortage of workers will occur in 25 countries, 13 industries, and 9 categories. It is estimated that the largest shortage is expected among engineers, among others, and most job offers will come from the logistics and transport industry.
It is estimated that in Poland, in a few years, there may be a shortage of 46,000 – 70,000, or even 100,000 engineers, and in European Union countries even 2 million. A significant number of them will be engineers in the logistics industry. A significant increase in recruitment advertisements on the Internet is already being observed.
In the case of logistics and transport professions, this number has already increased by 60% compared to 2010. The number of professions and specialties related to logistics has also increased. In the Regulation of the Minister of Economy and Labor of December 8, 2004, on the classification of professions and specialties for the needs of the labor market, out of 1707 professions and specialties, only in two cases can one find the entry: transport engineer (logistics specialist) and logistics technician. However, in a similar document, the Regulation of the Minister of Labor and Social Policy of April 27, 2010, the following professions and specialties are provided for university graduates that have the word “logistics” in their name: logistics director, logistics department manager, logistics specialist. It is also not without significance that in Poland there are significantly fewer students in technical fields than in other European countries. In Poland, only 14-17% of people study in technical fields, while in EU countries it is 26%. Germans and Czechs have 30% of students in technical fields, and Finns nearly 40%.
A modern engineer, regardless of their specialty, should possess:
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solid preparation in basic and technical subjects,
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the ability to efficiently use drawing as the basic form of communication for engineers,
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the ability to design in a chosen field of technical knowledge. Design is the basic form of an engineer’s work,
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the ability to perform measurements of basic physical and geometric quantities,
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the necessary manual skills to efficiently use tools,
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the ability to use modern means of collecting and processing information and computer tools in the field of engineering graphics,
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knowledge of at least one foreign language,
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knowledge enabling the proper assessment of social, ethical, psychological, and other consequences of engineering activities.
An analysis of recruitment advertisements made it possible to identify employers’ expectations regarding the scope of knowledge and skills of a logistics specialist:
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the ability to think creatively and analytically,
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teamwork and negotiation skills, communication skills,
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the ability to use computational techniques,
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the ability to plan, manage time, and make decisions,
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knowledge of foreign languages and cultural diversity,
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knowledge of business law in Poland and the European Union,
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the ability to use IT systems used in logistics,
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the ability for continuous improvement,
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the ability to diagnose threats and provide early warning.
The essence of logistics is the flow of material goods and accompanying information. These are activities that require the use of many diverse technical means.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 1/2012.