Researchers from the University of Oldenburg's Department of Vocational and Business Education and the Chair of Sustainability and Supply Chain Management are realising an innovative idea that aims to strengthen sustainability skills in the transport and logistics industry in the long term. Together with the university's Centre for Lifelong Learning (C3L) and the game developer Serious Games Solutions from Berlin, they are designing a course with a special twist for prospective commercial apprentices in the field of transport logistics: with the help of an AI-supported serious game, the apprentices take over a virtual logistics company that they have to expand sustainably. The collaboration has now officially started with a kick-off in Oldenburg.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project with around 2.5 million euros over the next three years, of which around 850,000 euros will go to the university. With their concept for the "NaTuL - Sustainability in the Transport and Logistics Industry" project, the University of Oldenburg and its partners won the InnoVET PLUS competition, which the BMBF uses to promote concepts for excellent vocational training.
"This project combines two core competences of our university with the topics of sustainability and education and uses the outstanding expertise of the C3L for in-service knowledge acquisition. The environment and ultimately all of us benefit from sustainable decisions in the transport and logistics sector," says University President Prof Dr Ralph Bruder.
Prof Dr Karin Rebmann, who specialises in academic appointments and business education, is coordinating the project. She is supported by the Sustainability and Supply Chain Management chair, headed by Prof Dr Christian Busse. "The transport and logistics industry is at a turning point today: sustainability is no longer just a goal, but increasingly a necessity. We need to design supply chains that are not only efficient or responsive, but also resilient and environmentally friendly," explains Busse. Rebmann adds: "Our training programme is designed to give skilled workers in particular the necessary skills and awareness that will shape their industry for decades to come."
As part of the project, apprentices from fields such as freight forwarding and logistics services, wholesale and foreign trade management and warehouse logistics as well as prospective industrial clerks and warehouse specialists will expand their skills in an IHK certificate course to complement their vocational training. An important element of the course is a game in which they manage a model company themselves and work on modules on topics such as warehouse management and supply chains. The company Serious Games Solutions is developing the game in close collaboration with researchers at the University of Oldenburg and is also using elements of artificial intelligence.
