FIFFLA seminar – the perfect opportunity to get a better understanding of the future in the logistics field

Hi everybody, my name is Liina Uusitalo and I am a second-year student studying International Business and Logistics in Metropolia UAS. For a group project for Managerial Communication our group wanted to participate in the organizing of an event. As logistics students we thought – why not kill two birds at once? Therefore, we decided to participate in the organizing of the FIFFLA seminar held in Metropolia’s Myyrmäki campus on Tuesday the 8^th of October.

What is FIFFLA?

So, what is this FIFFLA I am talking about? FIFFLA stands for Finnish Freight Forwarders and Logistics Association. The objective of the organization is to improve conditions for members operating in the logistics and freight forwarding field in Finland. FIFFLA also aspires to augment recognition and appreciation of the industry. FIFFLA does not only provide information and training, it also promotes co-operation and monitors the interests of the field in business and labour market policy matters.

What is the FIFFLA seminar?

On Tuesday the 8^th of October in co-operation with Metropolia, FIFFLA will host a seminar with workshops. The theme of the seminar is “How do employers and employees meet each in the future?” The idea behind the seminar is to promote logistics businesses and career opportunities among the UAS students of Metropolia. The seminar will include speeches of highly experienced professionals, career stories from logistics and three different workshops. The themes for the workshops are׃ “sustainable development – how to reduce carbon footprint in logistics”, “employers and corporate responsibility – how to become a good employer in terms of corporate responsibility” and “what competencies are needed in the logistics field”.

Why should the seminar interest students?

It is not every day that you get the opportunity to hear and learn from professionals of the logistics field. Not only do students get to listen to the speeches, it is a great opportunity for them to network and participate in the discussion of the future careers and opportunities in the industry. Students interested in a future career in logistics will have a first-hand chance to hear from qualified professionals what kind of competencies should they have/acquire in order to succeed in the field. Even for students, who do not necessarily see themselves having a future career in logistics, participating in the discussion of where the industry is headed to in the future, will be interesting.

So far participating in the organizing of the event has not only been interesting and educational, it has also been fun – but more on that later. Hopefully as many students as possible will attend the seminar, and who knows? Maybe the seminar will inspire someone who did not think they would be interesting in working in the logistics field to change their minds.