Partnership With GEODIS Exposes LEAD Students to College and Career Possibilities
LEAD Public Schools has taken its commitment to ensuring students are ready for college and ready for life to the next level by partnering with GEODIS to inform students about potential career pathways.
LEAD’s partnership with GEODIS, a worldwide transport and logistics leader, first began during the 2021-22 school year with a pilot at LEAD Southeast High. Now expanded to both high schools, the partnership exposes LEAD Southeast and LEAD Academy students to career possibilities during their sophomore and senior years of high school.
“In addition to exposure to college, we also want to expose students to potential career paths,” said Courtney McEwen, director of college and career programs at LEAD Public Schools. “Whether they chose the college path or non-college path, these experiences help them get a sense of what they’re good at, what it looks like, and what they want to do in the world.”
The goal of the partnership is to broaden post-secondary pathway opportunities for students. By introducing students to the variety of career paths GEODIS offers, they can make a more informed decision about their college major or a potential job after high school graduation. This experience is not limited to traditional supply chain roles–students are able to see all areas of the organization including marketing, sales, and IT.
LEAD isn’t the only one benefitting from the partnership. It also gives GEODIS the opportunity to invest in its future workforce by reaching students at the high-school level and educating them about the different career paths available in the supply chain field.
“Exposing a younger generation is only going to benefit GEODIS in the long run,” said Jackson Lane, director of transportation, operations, at GEODIS. “We’re trying to partner with LEAD in a way that doesn’t just expose students to the supply chain, but it also provides career paths–hopefully at GEODIS one day. More importantly, it’s about getting brighter minds and more talent into the supply chain workforce.”
Students are first introduced to GEODIS during their sophomore year when the company hosts a two-week seminar on career clusters. Employees from each department present about what their job looks like and how students can follow that path.
“It’s interesting because I’ve been thinking of pursuing a marketing career, and after the presentation, it made me want to choose marketing even more,” said a 10th grade student at LEAD Southeast High.
During their senior year, LEAD high school students go on site at GEODIS to tour each career pathway. They experience all elements of the organization, including visiting the warehouse and company headquarters. After seeing GEODIS employees in action, the students attend a career panel.
“We’ve really just scratched the surface,” said Shayla Holt, IT analyst at GEODIS.
The next step of the partnership is to build out a curriculum that includes supply chain to deepen students’ knowledge about the industry. LEAD is grateful to partner with a business that is committed to improving students’ futures and looks forward to seeing the ways this partnership can grow and benefit its students.
