CPaCE News

California currently leads the nation in helping to combat climate change through the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources. To stay on the cutting edge of these achievements, including the regulation of low- and zero-emission vehicles, the state requires a well-trained workforce with the latest skills and technologies to keep transportation systems moving sustainably.

In order to address these challenges, especially those related to the global movement of goods, the Center for International Trade and Transportation (CITT) launched the first-of-its-kind Sustainable Freight Foundations Certificate with a pilot course in Fall 2020. The 40-hour online training included curriculum that combined freight and energy systems management, as well as compliance issues and digital skill learning. 

CITT developed the certification program in partnership with the California Energy Commission and Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. The certificate is part of a broader CITT research project to complement the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan, an executive order issued by the governor to create a more efficient and less polluting freight transport system—one that also promises considerable economic benefits.

The CITT research team used labor market data and the latest job listings to identify more than 100 occupations and related skills that are in greatest demand. That number is likely to grow as state and federal policies focus on the transition to cleaner fuels. The group identified a skills gap involving front-line operators and technicians in their transition to supervisory positions, and related opportunities can potentially expand these well-paid jobs within disadvantaged communities that are often located along high-traffic freight routes.

The Sustainable Freight course teaches these much-needed skills that include data and metrics as well as regulatory issues related to freight management. Participants worked on a collaborative final project that required building sustainability strategies into a company’s culture to address the “triple bottom line:” people, planet, and profit.

Andrea McKinney attended the Sustainable Freight Foundations program shortly after her department at Commodity Forwarders Inc. became responsible for the management of the company’s truck fleet, which transports temperature-sensitive cargo nationwide. As a Food Safety Coordinator, it’s Andrea’s job to ensure that the company is in compliance with the multitude of government agencies and federal, state, and local regulations.

“[T]his certificate course has reignited my passion for learning!” she exclaimed. “I knew that I had a lack of knowledge in much of what this program was offering, so that attracted me immensely. Additionally, I liked the fact that the program was taught by leaders and subject matter experts within their fields.”

Her experiences in the program helped Andrea gain a wider understanding of sustainability goals in California, and bring some of those goals into her own job. Inspired by these new learning opportunities, Andrea also decided to go back to school again, and is now taking steps towards an additional degree in logistics and business. Earning the Sustainable Freight Foundations Certificate as well as an official Digital Badge is already foreshadowing some interesting career options.

“[The CPIE Digital Badge] was the first badge I added to my LinkedIn,” she remarked, “and I have noticed that targeted jobs advertised to me are more in line with this badge and my current position than they were before.”

As many other states have adopted California’s vehicle emission standards under the Federal Clean Air Act, CITT plans to expand the Sustainable Freight Foundations Certificate to increase job readiness in the workforce. For example, separate courses in Freight Management, Energy Fundamentals, Compliance, and Digital Applications can all be developed into their own certificates—each one adapting to multiple industry sectors including ports, trucking, railways, and manufacturing.

 “We have been thrilled by the interest in the class from a wide cross-section of professionals in the freight industry, and from both the public and private sectors,” said CITT Executive Director, Dr. Tom O’Brien. “The potential for this to be part of a broader certification is great, which I think reflects the value of constantly reassessing the courses we offer so that they remain relevant in today's workplace."