USM’s School of Leadership Receives $102,000 Grant from AccelerateMS
Fri, 03/17/2023 - 11:18am | By: Dr. Heather Annulis
The School of Leadership in The University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development has received a $102,000 Workforce Training Grant from AccelerateMS for the development and implementation of a short-term program to help mitigate the effects of disruption to the supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Heather Annulis, Director of the School of Leadership, and Dr. Abubaker Haddud, Program Coordinator for the school’s Industrial Engineering Technology program, serve as co-principal investigators for the grant.
“The pandemic caused major disruptions to global economies, and logistics and supply chains were one of the most impacted areas. COVID-19 exposed the vulnerabilities of supply networks at all levels,” said Dr. Annulis. “In order to mitigate future risk, organizations need to increase logistics, transportation, and supply chain workforce capabilities. However, there is a shortage of labor with the right skill sets, and it takes time for individuals to complete university programs that equip them to join the workforce.”
To bring employees’ skills to necessary levels more quickly, this program will provide the required knowledge in a shorter-term, fast-paced format, including topics such as lean thinking, logistics, and supply chain management. Upon completion of the training, participants receive a non-degree Supply Chain Management Certificate of Completion.
Dr. Haddud added, “This training program provides unique knowledge to help participants better understand how to future-proof supply chains against disruptions similar to those we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
AccelerateMS develops strategies to connect individuals with transformative, high-paying careers. By reviewing labor market data, supply chain needs, available educational and training resources, and community assets, they are able to provide targeted resources regionally to satisfy workforce deficiencies.
The School of Leadership is housed within the College of Business and Economic Development at The University of Southern Mississippi and operates on the Coastal USM campus in Long Beach, Mississippi. Its undergraduate degree programs include Accounting, Applied Technology, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology (Logistics), Management, and Marketing. Graduate programs include Human Capital Development, Human Capital Development (Instructional Technology and Design), Instructional Technology and Design, and Logistics, Trade and Transportation.
Visit the School of Leadership page to learn more about these degree programs or email SchoolOfLeadership@usm.edu.