Long Beach, CA – The IANA Intermodal Expo was held last week during National Truck Driver Appreciation week where over 100 high school and college students took part in learning about the different opportunities and careers available to them in the intermodal and logistics industry. According to its website, IANA is the only organization that represents the combined interests of the intermodal freight transportation industry. Their mission is to promote the growth of efficient intermodal freight transportation through innovation, education, and dialogue.
The Intermodal University Track, which comprised seminars specifically geared toward students, was introduced by IANA this year. “Hopefully, we’re curating the next generation of intermodal leaders,” said Joni Casey, CEO of the Intermodal Association of North America.
There were many industry leaders and people of influence talking to all that attended. One expressed that universities are improving their teaching in order for students to be prepared right out of the gate. New talent is quickly growing, so it is important to equip students with such skills to be as prepared as possible.
Students expressed to Transport Topics their reasons for considering a career in the industries. Yoseph Almetnawy, a student at the University of North Texas, said he is interested in supply chain operations because of the challenges they present. “You get to keep solving minor puzzles,” he said. Another University of North Texas student Jairus Cherry said he is interested in aviation logistics but aspires to be more well-rounded. He took advantage of the Expo to get knowledge about various industry sectors and cutting-edge technology. The squad that triumphed in the 2022 IANA Academic Challenge earlier this year included Almetnawy and Cherry.
The expo encouraged students to get real-life experience for the positions, careers, and industries they want to be a part of to get the full picture.
