TMCC strikes deal on logistics degree

Logistics industry executives in northern Nevada last week applauded an arrangement that will allow students to get a four-year degree in logistics without leaving the area.

Graduates of the two-year program in logistics at Truckee Meadows Community College now will be able to seamlessly transfer their credits to the four-year logistics program offered by American Public University, a school headquartered at Charles Town, W. Va.

Because American Public University offers classes only online, logistics students in Reno many of them working in the distribution and transportation industry won't need to leave to complete their degrees, said Melanie Lawler, coordinator of logistics management and entrepreneurship at TMCC.

And that's a big deal because the four-year degree in logistics management at the University of Nevada, Reno, was shuttered as the result of budget cuts. The university continues to require a class in operations management including logistics for business students.

About a dozen students currently are enrolled in logistics courses at TMCC.

"This is huge," said Lawler. "It makes it much easier for them to transfer."

Logistics executives said they need trained managers, particularly because the sector has been identified as one of the priorities for economic development in the region.

"In order to attract and retain companies to perform their logistics operations in the Greater Reno Tahoe area, it is critical to have a quality, educated workforce to support the industry," said Jared Lindwall, manager of business development for Bender Group in Reno and a graduate of the UNR program. "It is good to see TMCC pick up the slack for an industry as critical as logistics is to Greater Reno-Tahoe's economic growth and vitality."