SXL Helps Professionals Start and Run Businesses
When Robert Bethke decided to start a freight brokerage firm with a friend, he turned to Governors State University’s (GSU) School of Extended Learning (SXL) Supply Chain Innovation Center and Business Incubator (SCICBI) for help.
Bethke knew he would gain certifications easily recognizable by logistics companies, shippers and freight companies all over the world and the knowledge needed to succeed in the industry.
Now, after completing the programs, he can run the business and make it profitable.
“This is a very unique industry and without this knowledge, I could never start day one on this business,” said Bethke. “Without the certification courses, I wouldn’t understand how the industry works.”
One of the certifications he received in July 2022 was GSU’s Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) certificate in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD). CLTD is designed for logistics, transportation and distribution professionals across all industries, including, logistics managers/engineers, supply chain logistics managers, and traffic managers. The CLTD modules include content on logistics network design, sustainability and reverse logistics, capacity planning and demand management and other topics vital to executives, managers, engineers and team members alike.
He also got a certification in ASCM Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP). The CSCP content covers the following key topics:
● Supply Chains, Demand Management and Forecasting
● Global Supply Chain Networks
● Sourcing Products and Services
● Internal Operations and Inventory
● Forward and Reverse Logistics
● Supply Chain Relationships
● Supply Chain Risk
● Optimization, Sustainability and Technology
What Bethke learned not only helped broaden his understanding of his role as a freight broker agent but the roles of other key players in the supply chain.
“Now I know when I speak to a shipper, I can understand their inventory issues, transportation issues, lack of transportation. And combining that with the freight broker agent course, I can also understand the viewpoint of the trucking companies, the truck drivers themselves, the issues they face dealing with shippers and vice versa,” he said.
He was also able to receive funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to help pay for his schooling. WIOA is a federally funded grant program to assist unemployed individuals in entering or returning to the workforce. Although GSU does not provide vouchers, we honor them for our approved programs.
For more information about applying for WIOA funding, please view the following resources:
● Student Info Sheet for WIOA Process
● How to pay for those who are not eligible for WIOA funds
About School of Extended Learning (SXL)
The School of Extended Learning (SXL) at Governors State University serves as the lifelong learning partner for the Chicago Southland region, offering programs that enhance career readiness and lead to purpose-driven work and life for adults of all ages, the military-connected and businesses. Skills training and hobby courses, test preparation programs, industry certifications, senior enrichment, military-connected services, and convenient programs at off-campus locations provide accessible paths for adult learners to successfully realize career and life transitions. Programs are delivered through online, hybrid and face-to-face instructional formats, as on-campus, daytime classes are not always possible for all students because of work, family, or active military service. Visit www.govst.edu/sxl or follow us on Facebook @GSUSXL and LinkedIn.