The Twin Ports represent a marvelous picture of what a good transportation system can do for an economy. Numerous businesses in the area move freight, products and supplies using ships, trucks, air and rail. Students enrolled in the University of Wisconsin - Superior's (UWS) Transportation and Logistics Management program take classes to prepare themselves for a career that aims to efficiently move and manage products.
As the need to transport items has grown over the years, so has the UWS program. Currently, 76 students are enrolled in the major -- more than triple the number just 10 years ago.
Courses in the UWS program include accounting, logistics, geography, economics and statistics. According to Dr. Richard Stewart, director of the transportation and logistics program, says students must rely on "common sense, analytical skills, work ethic, discipline and the ability to work independently."
Those who are enrolled in these studies can take advantage of local internships in areas of the field in which they hope to make into a career. They also are afforded the opportunity to research issues within the Transportation and Logistics Research Center on the UWS campus.
Kenneth Chong, a senior in the program, has taken advantage of that opportunity by researching the Great Lakes cruise industry, operation optimization of logging trucks and liquefied natural gas in freight vessels during his time at the college.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I go to many conferences and talk to professionals in the industry," said Chong, "and I'm studying the process of making ports and ships greener."
Chong has received awards for his research and continues to further his understanding of marine industry. He's already seized an internship with Cliffs Natural Resources, which will begin after graduation.
Graduates of the UWS program often are hired to work with government agencies, but there are many privately owned, local businesses that utilize similar skills and expertise. In addition, a degree of this kind has its perks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, most people with transportation-related degrees make three times the wages of clerks, packers or laborers.
Liz Smith, a UWS sophomore, is excited to begin her course schedule. She began working in her family's trucking business as a dispatcher, and she hopes to continue her family's legacy by carving out a career in transportation.
"I want to work in either trucking or on the railroad," said Smith. "It sounds more intense on the railroad side, and working there sounds neat."
Smith said she chose UWS because it is the only college in Wisconsin with this kind of degree.
"UWS is one of only 25 schools in the U.S. offering a degree in transportation and logistics," Smith said.
According to Lindsey Paradice, a UWS senior in the program, it's never too late to return to college to pursue a professional interest. After being in the workforce for a number of years, Paradice decided to go back to school to get into a business-related field.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I was looking for the biggest challenge, and the opportunities I could have once I was finished with the program," said Paradice. "I fell in love with the major, and now I graduate in May."
Paradice is looking forward to a summer internship with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, working in the marine transportation industry. Her goal is to find a job in the area eventually that will make use of her degree.
Students from all occupations can benefit from the program as Hiroko Tada, another senior in the program, exhibits. She came to the United States to get a four-year degree and further her skill in speaking English.
"I used to work installing products in ship computers," said Tada, "but I never thought about transportation and logistics until I came here."
The program caught her interest because of a passing conversation about ballast water in ships. Now she hopes to return to her native Japan after graduation and find a good-paying job where she can use her polished English skills.
Manufacturing isn't just about drilling, welding and building. The behind-the-scenes heroes who make the system run smoothly are being trained here, in Superior.
