b'20American Journal of TransportationNOVEMBER 20 - DECEMBER 17, 2023DHL looks at attracting talent to project sectorJake Swanson, regional vice president the AmericasforDHLGlobalForwardings Industrial Projects division, outlines to AJOT what it takes to attract and retain people in the project sector. By Chris Barnett, AJOTAttracting and retaining talent in freight trans-portationhasbeentoughersincetheCOVID19 pandemichit.Buttogrowtodayscomplicated, far-flung breakbulk transport sector, logistics lead-ers must aggressively invest capital, time, and train-ing in college graduates with technology skills and problem-solving mindsets. No easy feat. It has always been a challenge to locate, hire and keep talent in the project logistics sector as the market keeps expanding and outsized freight becomes bigger and more sophisticated. Espe-cially now as seasoned breakbulk specialists retire or lookelsewhere,findingnewtalentandcreativelyBREAKBULK QUARTERLYpersuading these newcomers this can be a rewarding career has to be a critical focus across the industry.That was the thrust of the opening remarks deliv-ered at the recent Breakbulk Conference in Houston by Jake Swanson, regional vice president, the Ameri-cas for DHL Global Forwardings Industrial Projects division.Myfocuswasonpeopledevelopment andtheimportance oftheindustryto reachdowntothe universities to bring (along) and develop the next generation, he told the American JournalofTrans-portation (AJOT) in an interview.Dhl Sn ext g enipTheconference, entitledOutlook2024Jake Swanson, regional VP,Challenges, Oppor- the Americas for DHL Global tunities,andExpand- Forwarding Industrial ProjectsingRoleofProject Forwarders,was an ideal setting for Swansons keynote. Houston is home base for DHL Global For-wardings innovative 15-month management trainee rotational program called NextGen IP where partici-pants work on three continents in two years.Duringthattime,saysSwanson,whoisalso based in Houston, trainees have hands-on experi-ence in warehouse operations, air/ocean export oper-ations, air/ocean import operations and sales. Again, the program emphasizes global experience by trans-ferring trainees to any one of the 200-plus countries the company serves. DHL, which describes itself as the worlds largest logistics company, has approxi-mately 700,000 employees. (A spokeswoman in Santiago, Chile says DHL GlobalForwardinghasbeencertifiedasatop employergloballyincluding Africa,Europe,the Middle East, and North America for 2023). Swanson wasnt lecturing the breakbulk sector of the logis-tics industry to follow in DHL Global ForwardingsHEAVY LIFTINGfootsteps.I just encouraged the industry to invest in our future, he says. It was more like an industry challengethat we all need to work together. ButDONE RIGHTthe fact is many, many breakbulk logistics compa-nies attending are already doing the same thing to build leaders for the future.b righty ear forp rojeCtl ogiStiCS in24The DHL executive sees a bright year for proj-ect logistics in 2024 and beyond with an emphasisOur cargo-handling capabilities save time and money. on regional sourcing in the Americas Region, andLet the port thatworkswith Houston continuing to be a project hub and be your gateway to North America and beyond. busygateway.Specifically,hesayssemiconduc-tors, technology companies, mining and oil and gas are generating the most activity among nearshoring project sectors.1000 Foust Road, Brownsville, TX 78521Essentially, regional sourcing in project logistics(956) 831-4592(800) 378-5395is becoming a key strategy, says Swanson, adding thatmaterialsarebeingsourcedandpurchasedportofbrownsville.comregionallyandthesupplychainisbeingbrought (TALENTcontinued on page 22)'