Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus will now offer a customized certificate for military logistics.
The campus board of trustees recently approved a resolution to offer a Logistics Department of Defense Certificate. According to Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Jackie Fischer, this program already exists within Ivy Tech’s statewide system. It was developed in partnership with the Crane Naval Warfare Center.
The certificate program was created specifically to help the naval base with employee attraction and education.
“Right now we have eight in the cohort statewide,” Fischer told the board. “And some of them come directly from Crane, are current employees that are learning logistics, and that’s specific to government and federal spending and procurement.”
While most of the current cohort members are from Crane, the base also hopes to recruit community members and hire these individuals once they’re certified.
Fischer added that faculty member Nancy Lollar, who helped design the certificate, has mentioned that the government is looking at “ramping up” this type of certificate for several bases across the country.
“It’s just a really attractive model, so other naval bases are looking at it,” Fischer said.
Ivy Tech’s program provides training to both military employees and civilians, which Crane hopes will reduce employee training time. The base wants workers to have knowledge of the federal supply system, appropriations law, government contracting and acquisitions.
According to a description from the college’s Bloomington campus, the Logistics Department of Defense Certificate “offers specialized education and training that allow the student to develop transferable skill-sets specific to the Department of Defense logistics career field.”
“Students will become familiar with the Department of Defense processes that are at the heart of Military Acquisition that outfit Marines, Sailors, Airman, and Soldiers with warfighting and lifesaving equipment,” the flier states.
The certificate can also count towards the Supply Chain Management Associate of Applied Science degree.
Fischer said that most of the certificate’s courses will be offered virtually or via Ivy Tech’s “Learn Anywhere” program. The certificate requires 24 credit hours.
