Wakefield, Yorkshire: The Food Storage and Distribution Federation is supporting a new board game designed to educate 9 to 19 year olds about the global supply chain industry.
Business on the Move is a game that aims to excite young people about global business and inspire the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. The game introduces young players to the importance of decision-making in business, as they are tasked to move a range of products from China to their UK customers by land, air and sea as quickly, as profitably and as responsibly as they can. The challenges demonstrate a variety of vital business skills including communication and numeracy, balancing conflicting priorities, competing, planning, problem solving and negotiating.
Designed and developed by two former teachers, the game has been robustly tested by more than 500 pupils and their teachers from 31 UK schools. According to the developers, the next step is to raise sufficient business sponsorship to underpin the launch of ‘Business on the Move’ in a series of events in the UK, providing free games to over 400 schools and involving 12,000 pupils in twelve months.
The game’s sustainable business model projects that Business on the Move will reach more than 100,000 young people within five years. Participating logistics and retail companies will both feature in the game and celebrate their actual role in the supply chain through a case study created ‘in pupilspeak’ and designed for use in follow-up lessons.
Chris Sturman, chief executive, Food Storage and Distribution Federation says: “One of the current hot topics for our members is skill shortages and the ongoing attraction of talent to the industry. It is for this reason we are delighted to be associated with the ‘Business on the Move’ project, which we feel will help to excite young people about the global supply chain business and underpin how it functions as a fundamental part of global business overall.
“The FSDF’s involvement in Business on the Move is part of the federation’s wider strategic plan to actively attract, develop and retain talent into the food supply chain industry. We have been working in close association with our members and Skills for Logistics to develop a number of training and professional development pathways which includes apprenticeship schemes that will provide a thorough introduction to the industry.
“We are also in the process of developing higher education career opportunities through specifically designed company modules, Foundation degrees and Masters programmes. The training and development that we are offering will ensure that a large proportion of these individuals will become the future leaders of the food supply chain industry.”
