By Vincent Wee

SIM University (UniSIM) in collaboration with the Singapore Logistics Association (SLA) is offering a dedicated logistics degree programme, the only one to be offered by a Singapore university and which is dedicated to a comprehensive study of logistics and supply chain management.

The Bachelor of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management programme, which is also the first to be offered by a Singapore university on a part-time basis, comprises a blend of academic content and industry practice aimed at preparing students for the effective management of supply chains.

UniSIM is partnering SLA for support in course development, sponsorship and job placements and the partnership also ensures that the programme is relevant to industry needs and that it receives necessary industry expertise.

The programme targets existing logistics industry employees with diploma qualifications keen to upgrade their skills to assume management positions as well as working professionals seeking a mid-career switch to the burgeoning logistics and supply chain management industry.

The logistics sector accounted for 9.4 per cent of Singapore's GDP last year and employed 180,000 people.

Currently, about 600 students will graduate each year with a logistics diploma from the polytechnics and another 500 professionals from the industry will seek to upgrade to a degree.

These form the potential pool of students for the UniSIM-SLA programme.

As part of the partnership, SLA will provide academic and research support in the programme. SLA will also leverage its membership network to provide attachment or job opportunities as well as scholarship awards to students pursuing the programme.

This article was first published in The Business Times on October 29, 2008.