On Tuesday, the Maritime Logistics Education Taskforce proudly graduated 16 students from the third annual MLET Spring Internship Program.
The students, from Effingham College and Career Academy, Savannah-Chatham County Public School System and Savannah Technical College, were awarded internships with a record 15 local business partners.
McLeod Rominger of Colonial Energy/Enmark, David “Fish” Mihuta of Freightliner and Billy Robinson of Port City Logistics have been involved since the beginning – Mihuta and Robinson put together the innovative “Follow the Container” field trip program that grew into MLET.
“This program is really helping raise awareness of all the good jobs available in logistics right here in the Coastal Empire,” Mihuta said. “And that has the potential to help both area students and our maritime community for years to come.”
Rominger had special praise for the logistics businesses that sign on to work with interns, giving them a thorough and realistic look at the multi-faceted world of logistics.
“They give their time and expertise to make sure these interns get the best experience possible,” he said. “We thank them for their continued investment in the future of the regional logistics employment workforce. They really are the silent engine that makes this program go.”
Robinson agreed.
“MLET internships give these kids an inside look at the different facets of the maritime logistics industry,” he said. “For us at Port City Logistics, that means learning about trucking, warehousing, computer inventory skills. For a freight forwarder, there is a different set of skills.
“It’s also a great way for them to learn what’s expected of an employee on a daily basis, including how to interact with people in a professional setting, the importance of punctuality and other soft skills.”
There’s also a benefit for the business, Robinson said.
“On a selfish note, we always need good people,” he said. “By putting these students inside one of our area’s booming industries, we’re hoping they will see the opportunities they have right here at home.”
Over the last three years, MLET and local logistics companies have offered 47 internships and graduated 43, many with permanent offers from their employers to stay on after completion.
A new aspect of the internship program this year was the presentation of the inaugural Eddie Johnson MLET scholarship sponsored by Savannah State University Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program. The $500 scholarship, named for a founding member of the program who lost his life in an automobile accident, was awarded to Mohammad Abdullah of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, an intern at JIT Warehousing and Logistics.
“Mohammad worked with us in a number of different area
of operation, picking things up quickly,” said JIT’s Chuck Davis. “He worked in the warehouses, did inventory and bills of lading, answered the phones. For a young man of 17, he really impressed us with his maturity, intelligence and work ethic.”
Davis said Abdullah plans to go to college and major in logistics.
“I know we’d love to have him when he graduates.”
Other employers in this year’s program were American Packing and Crating, DJ Powers Co., Expeditors International, Fulfillment.com, Home Depot, HWC Logistics, JCB, John S. James Co., Nordic Logistics and Warehousing, Matson Logistics, Pier 1, Thunderbolt Marine and Willis Logistics.
Joining the employers were on-board businesses and maritime individuals, including Georgia Ports Authority, Garden City, Savannah State University, Image Hotels, LSP Technologies, Sullivan Staffing, First Class Marketing, Savannah Technical College, Reggie Sikes and Tom Wright.
This year’s interns were Ronnie James, Zachary Dyer, Miranda Peralez, Lauren Wilds, Bailey Morris, Austin Simmons and Culley Browning, all from Effingham College and Career Academy; Monica Green, Shanequia Stevens, Eugener Anthony, Kierra Forsyth, Leroy Green, Mohammad Abdulla and Latavia Ross, all from Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools; and Leonard Jenkins and Ashlee Weatherspoon, both from Savannah Tech.
Al Wright, a 47-year veteran employee at Gulfstream Aerospace, delivered the keynote address, talking to the students about the power of opportunity and the need to capitalize on entry-level work as an important stepping stone to later successes.
Georgia State School Superintendent Richard Woods also attended the graduation, bringing a contingent of four state directors from Atlanta to learn more about the program.
Senior business reporter Mary Carr Mayle covers the ports for the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow. She can be reached at 912-652-0324 or at [email protected].
Following are the ships expected to call on Georgia Ports Authority’s Garden City and Ocean terminals this week. Schedules are supplied by GPA and are subject to change.
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