Left: Steve Harrington, Industry Liaison, National Center for Supply Chain Automation, CA
Center: Valorie Piper, PI, National Center for Supply Chain Automation, Norco College, CA
Right: Tyler Kennedy, Communications Specialist, Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, VA

The National Center for Supply Chain Automation started a collaborative journey years ago with a vision to create an industry validated certification program preparing skilled technicians to work in today’s highly automated supply chain. The certification development vision was finally realized in March of 2020 when the Certified Technician-Supply Chain Automation Program was rolled out. During this journey, something innovative occurred—the invention of a hands-on skills verification device that teaches and assesses 100 hands-on required skills (Amatrol Skill Boss Logistics device). NCSCA, hosted by Norco College, with the support of the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, spoke about this journey, lessons learned in the process, how the collaborative partnership occurred, and how an apprenticeship program became intertwined at a spotlight panel session at the 2022 Advanced Technical Education Conference in Washington, DC on October 27th with over 800 registrants.

Mastery of the core competencies of material handling at the front-line

Certified Logistics Technician (MSSC CLT)

A certified logistics technician is an essential member of the supply chain automation team. Competent certified logistics technicians are in demand across many industries by companies that need skilled front-line workers to extend their national and global reach by linking factories, suppliers, and customers.

Logistics technicians work in fulfillment centers, warehouses, distribution centers, and factories, and are involved in receiving, packing, shipping, tracking, and processing orders. They work with management and team members on daily operations of logistics systems, warehousing, distribution, and ensuring freight is processed efficiently to maximize product service levels.

For those who like working in a fast-paced environment that involves physical work, the MSSC Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) certification program provides the accreditation needed to pursue this career. MSSC training assists workers in finding higher-wage jobs and helps ensure employers their workers are capable of increasing the company’s productivity and competitiveness.

In an era of swelling college debt and employers’ need for specific job skills, industry certifications are enabling many more Americans to secure good-paying jobs in high-demand occupations that do not require a college degree. This online training program includes a stackable certification and in-demand skills needed for long-term career paths in supply chain logistics.

MSSC Training: Mastering the Core Competencies of Material Handling at the Front-Line

Logistics related companies need a knowledgeable, problem-solving workforce that can keep pace with rapidly changing technologies and processes. The MSSC Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) certification program recognizes through certification, individuals who demonstrate mastery of the core competencies of material handling at the front-line (entry-level to front-line supervisor) through successful completion of the certification assessments.

The industry-recognized, nationally portable and stackable CLA and CLT credentials help prepare individuals for careers in the rapidly growing and changing world of global supply chain logistics.

The MSSC CLT program consists of two parts:

• Foundational-Level Certified Logistics Associate (CLA) Certificate
• Mid-Level Technical CLT Certification (before sitting for the CLT assessment, candidates must have a CLA Certificate)

The certified logistics technician program covers a wide range of skills necessary for success in the logistics industry:

• Product receiving
• Product storage
• Order processing
• Packaging and shipment
• Inventory control
• Safe handling of hazardous materials
• Transportation mode evaluation
• Dispatch and trucking operations
• Measurement and metric conversions

Individuals demonstrate their understanding of the core skills and knowledge through two assessments based upon MSSC’s industry-defined, nationally validated skill standards. This assessment contains 85-90 multiple-choice questions, and MSSC strongly recommends that individuals be at 8th-grade math and 10th-grade reading level.

The nationwide Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) System, based upon industry-defined and federally-endorsed standards, offers entry-level and incumbent workers the opportunity to demonstrate that they have acquired the skills increasingly needed in the technology-intensive jobs of the 21st century. The CLT Certifications set the quality standard for front-line technicians in our nation’s factories, distribution centers, warehouses, and transportation hubs.

Learn more about starting or advancing your career in Supply Chain Automation.

An industry standards-based certification for this new occupation is based upon a definition of “supply chain technician.”

Certified Technician – Supply Chain Automation (MSSC CT-SCA)

One way that the National Center for Supply Chain Automation helps to increase the workforce of highly-skilled supply chain technicians is by establishing and promoting stackable industry certifications in Supply Chain Automation. We start by partnering with high schools and community colleges to create career pathways. Then we collaborate nationally with supply chain automation stakeholders to recognize and validate supply chain certifications in the industry.

Certified supply chain technicians are in demand across many industries. Students, military veterans, or anyone who is detail-oriented and likes hands-on work should explore a supply chain certification and pursue this rewarding career path.

Defining Supply Chain Technician For An Industry Standards-Based Certification

A supply chain technician is a relatively new and in-demand occupation that the National Center for Supply Chain Automation defines as a person who installs, operates, supports, upgrades, or maintains the automated material handling equipment and systems which supports the supply chain.

Work and worker standards, the technical knowledge and skills needed to perform the work, are the basis of the instructional program to become a Certified Technician in Supply Chain Automation (CTSCA). These form the foundation for a Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) certification.

CTSCA standards are organized around three critical work functions of a certified supply chain technician. Work functions include vital activities and performance indicators that define the specific tasks that students need to perform to demonstrate competency:

Maintaining equipment/systems

• Implement equipment/system safety protocols
• Identify and operate major automated equipment/systems
• Monitor machine/system operations
• Ensure key parts and components are available in inventory
• Implement and perform preventive maintenance
• Establish monitoring and maintenance schedule for equipment/lubricant condition
• Communicate with co-workers to promote productivity
• Perform technical and administrative duties

Installing, modifying, troubleshooting, and repairing equipment/systems

• Troubleshoot machine, mechanical system, and/or electrical system failure
• Repair machine, mechanical system, and/or electrical system failure
• Install, move, and/or remove equipment

Installing, modifying, troubleshooting, and repairing basic controllers and networks

• Install and maintain programmable logic controllers (PLC) and PLC modules
• Troubleshoot and repair PLCs with discrete I/O PLC modules
• Modify, troubleshoot or manipulate standard PLC operating programs, test, and verify them for correct operation
• Install, maintain, and troubleshoot PLC systems with variable frequency AC drives
• Operate and test equipment network system, scanners, and run system applications

Individuals who achieve success in both written and hands-on assessments in each of these three critical work functions will receive an industry-recognized, nationally portable certification by MSSC.

Learn More About Starting or Advancing Your Career in Supply Chain Automation

There will be as many as 770,000 job openings for supply chain techs in the U.S. between 2015 and 2025. It’s an excellent time to launch or advance your career as a certified supply chain technician because many industries use supply chain automation. Retail, manufacturing, healthcare, food supply, automotive, and defense all need certified supply chain techs to keep inventory flowing smoothly in and out of storage spaces.

Learn more about what a career in supply chain automation entails.

Build, maintain, and troubleshoot

Robots work to make life easier for humans and help to streamline and increase production. But like all machines, they need someone to build, program, maintain, and fix them. The robotics technician provides expert service throughout the life of the robot and prolongs its use.

Robotic technicians generally work in industrial manufacturing and supply chain/logistics facilities or work with engineers and designers to assemble and test robots. Robot technicians who work in industrial manufacturing and supply chain facilities are responsible for maintaining the robot’s electrical and mechanical systems and troubleshooting when there are issues. Robot technicians can also install robots at plant sites, ensuring the automation control systems are working correctly.

If becoming a robotic technician interests you, and you want to work with engineers and designers, you will need an understanding of computers, electrical and electronic systems, sensors, and automation control systems.

An associate degree or technical certificate in Electrical, Mechanical or Mechatronics engineering technology is required to become a robotic technician. Most engineering technology programs take two years to complete and include coursework in robotics programming, conveyor systems, and computer networking and integration. Work experience in mechatronics or a Mechatronics certification can also be sufficient.

Most academic programs include coursework in motion programming, conveyor systems, and computer networking and integration and take approximately two years to complete.

Using Robots to Streamline the Supply Chain

Robots make manufacturing more efficient by performing repetitive tasks and are designed to work at a faster pace while maintaining a safe environment. The robotic technician ensures that robots operate at peak performance, which is crucial in the supply chain.

Supply chains can be a complex network and robot technicians ensure that the manufacturing floor never stops making products and meets production requirements and shipping deadlines. Many vital tasks in the supply chain, like moving products through a warehouse, often rely on robots and robot technicians.

Skills Needed to Become a Robotic Technician

Some of the essential foundational skills needed to become a robotic technician include:

• Manual dexterity
• Mechanical skills
• Knowledge of repairing machines and systems
• Spatial sense
• Software programming
• Critical thinking
• Creative problem solving
• Communications

Veterans often possess many of the skills that are a good fit for careers in supply chain automation. Robotics technician is one of many jobs for veterans that align with military training.