In response to national policies on promoting college students’ employment and industry-education integration, and to solve the problems of poor employment matching of logistics graduates and weak linkage between universities and enterprises, Top 50 Shipping Elites Research Center intends to launch the "Pilot Program" for Industry-Education Integration & College Students' Employment Promotion in China Logistics Sector, relying on professional resources including China Top 50 Shipping Elites Forum, China Shipping Gazette, China Communications and Transportation Association - Shipping Logistics Branch, China Communications and Transportation Association - Express Logistics Branch and International Shipping Enterprise Association(ISEA). The program aims to build a collaborative talent cultivation platform for universities, enterprises and industry experts, strengthen employment guidance, optimize training systems and smooth employment channels, so as to fully align the talent training quality of logistics majors with industry development needs, and cultivate high-caliber leading talents for the logistics industry.

50SERC will cooperate with benchmark universities in China’s logistics education sector, which have achieved fruitful results in discipline construction, talent training model innovation and industry-education integration practice over the years, with strong faculty strength and widely recognized graduates, to jointly promote the development of logistics education and the construction of industry talent supply. The Center has invited School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University; School of Maritime Economics and Management, College of Transportation Engineering, Dalian Maritime University; School of Economics and Management, College of Transportation, Shanghai Maritime University; and School of Economics and Management, Civil Aviation University of China as the first batch of pilot institutions to participate in the Pilot Program, and has received their confirmation replies. All parties will jointly explore innovative paths for logistics talent training and employment improvement, and nurture young talents to lead industrial development.

Launched by a non-profit organization in the logistics industry, the Pilot Program gives full play to the advantages of enterprises, universities and industry experts. With the core goal of cultivating leading talents for the logistics industry and unblocking employment channels through industry-education integration, it is a public welfare program dedicated to the training and employment of college students majoring in logistics.

Program Background

1. College student employment has always been a major concern of the whole society, especially for graduates majoring in logistics. Strengthening guidance for fresh graduates, answering questions in a timely manner and helping them adapt to the role transition from campus to workplace will support their healthy growth and lay a foundation for them to become future industry leaders.

2. Logistics universities need to timely obtain talent demand information from logistics enterprises and other employers, and continuously optimize teaching plans, curriculum design and textbook selection in response to changing market demands, so as to improve talent training quality as well as graduate employment rate and employment quality. For leading universities in the industry, the number of fresh graduates employed by top enterprises is a key indicator and a direct reflection of the training effectiveness of the Pilot Program.

3. Under the current retirement system, many healthy, experienced and passionate logistics professionals retire upon reaching retirement age. As senior industry leaders, they are well qualified to pass on their experience and serve as navigation mentors for logistics students, while acting as a bridge between logistics universities and enterprises.

4. In recent years, logistics enterprises covering waterway, railway, air, road and other transportation modes have attached increasing importance to corporate social responsibility while maintaining business operations, making it feasible to invite qualified enterprises to sponsor the Pilot Program. Meanwhile, recruiting outstanding graduates with both ability and integrity is essential for the long-term development of major logistics enterprises. Sponsoring the program will help enterprises reserve future leading talents and implement talent strategies.

Program Key Points

The implementation is led by Top 50 Shipping Elites Research Center, promoting the Pilot Program with the support of authoritative resources including China Top 50 Shipping Elites Forum, China Shipping Gazette, China Communications and Transportation Association - Shipping Logistics Branch, China Communications and Transportation Association - Express Logistics Branch and International Shipping Enterprise Association(ISEA).

In the initial stage, 5 leading industry universities will be selected for pilot implementation, with one graduating class set as the pilot class in each university. The scope of participating universities and classes will be gradually expanded, and sponsoring enterprises are allowed to recommend target universities to join.

Logistics professionals who have retired within five years, with extensive industry connections and professional enthusiasm, will be recruited as navigation mentors. Each navigation mentor will be responsible for one graduating pilot class every year, conducting five on-campus exchanges and lectures, establishing WeChat groups to deliver courses and answer questions, with junior students allowed to participate voluntarily. Navigation mentors are normally appointed for five years upon retirement, and outstanding mentors may be reappointed for another five years upon expiry. One senior leader of each sponsoring enterprise may serve as Honorary Navigation Mentor, with the term of office valid during the sponsorship period.

The Center raises funds for the Pilot Program from logistics enterprises. The funds are allocated as follows: 20% for the Center’s management fee, 30% for targeted talent recruitment funds of sponsoring enterprises, and 50% for special funds. The special funds are used for navigation mentor expert fees, cross-region travel expenses for lectures, centralized training and exchange costs for mentors, and job-hunting subsidies for financially disadvantaged students.