Smooth Sailing: Relationship With the Port of L.A. Provides Career Opportunities for Students
and Alumni

One of every 24 jobs in Southern California is related to international trade at the Port of Los Angeles.

With approximately 3,000 vessels arriving annually, the Port of Los Angeles is part of the largest container complex in the United States, one of the most important commercial entities in the region, and an entity with strong and growing links to the College of Business Administration and Public Policy (CBAPP). Collaborations and partnerships between the Port and CSU Dominguez Hills ensure that students get a first-hand look at this hub of international trade, which provides 1 of every 24 jobs in Southern California and has internships that range from stevedoring and engineering companies to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Relationships linking the University, the Port, and the businesses that support it are part of CSUDH’s contribution to local industry, with alumni and faculty serving on the advisory boards of both the International Trade and Education Programs (ITEP) and CBAPP. Finally, a biannual campus event that has resulted from a port partnership with CSUDH Alumni Relations gives alums who own small businesses the opportunity to submit contracts for port services and products.

High School Links: Learning on the Job
Carol Rowen, executive director, ITEP, is enthusiastic about the International Trade Academy at Banning High School in Wilmington.

“These are students who never considered going to college who end up going to college,” she says. “The local, state, and regional economies are dependent on having an educated workforce. Our mission is to introduce students to careers in international trade.”

The program involves introducing such subject areas as goods movement, engineering and global environmental sciences to students who, according to Rowen, had no idea such job opportunities existed. By passing an examination, students can earn a High School International Trade Certificate testifying to their ability in skills relevant to international trade: computer and English literacy, math competency, supervised work experience and community service experience among them. The International Trade Academy’s second class will graduate in spring 2007.

With CBAPP Dean James Strong serving on ITEP’s board of directors and Rowen serving on the CBAPP board, the collaboration between the University and ITEP will prove mutually beneficial to both institutions.

“We’re hoping our students will go to Dominguez Hills,” says Rowen. “We direct some of them to the business school at Dominguez, and hope to refer them to the logistics program when it’s up and running. A lot of our kids have applied this year.” 

Moving Goods, Making Jobs: Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management
The University’s proximity to the Port of Los Angeles makes the new M.B.A. degree in global logistics and supply chain management a natural fit, incorporating another CBAPP strength by allowing students to study both on-campus and online.

“There is no university closer to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and LAX that could address these sources of cargo movement both nationally and internationally,” says alumnus Martin Chavez (Class of '82, BS, Public Administration; '83, MPA), a human resources development officer at the port. “The ports of L.A. and Long Beach account for a high percentage of the nation's imports, which gives our students a real understanding of how fast-paced and challenging jobs in global logistics can be.”

In June, CBAPP was awarded $42,000 by the CSU Commission on Extended Education to develop both an online M.B.A. concentration and an online graduate-level certificate in global logistics and supply chain management. The programs will be launched in fall 2007, along with the on-campus undergraduate version, which was made possible by a $250,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant received in September 2005.

Alumnus Michael DiBernardo (Class of '82, B.A., Marketing) is the director of planning and research at the Port of L.A., and was instrumental as a member of the CBAPP Advisory Board in developing the new programs. He says that graduates with the new degree would be “highly sought after by industries in the South Bay due to the high concentration of international businesses, the Port, and the warehouses that support Port operations.”

Small-Business Opportunities for Alumni
In an effort to bolster the local economy by using local contractors to provide it with goods and services, the Port has partnered with CSUDH Alumni Relations for a biannual event, the Business Opportunity Expo.

Past participants have included such companies as Parsons Corporation, CH2MHILL Inc., Ocean Blue Environmental Services, and Katherine Padilla & Associates. City agencies such as homeland security, human resources and the Port police recruit employees at the event, while small businesses in the areas of environmental services, engineering, design, project management, and construction are on hand to advise alumni who are small business owners with what it takes to contract with the Port.

“Students at Dominguez Hills often settle in the area and open businesses here, so we wanted to give them an idea of the kinds of opportunities that are available,” says Margaret Hernandez, director of the Port’s contracts and purchasing division.

“We are always looking for local contractors to fulfill our business needs, whether in the procurement area or the professional services area,” she continues. “It’s a great chance for local businesses to be able to share the dollars that are generated through the Port.”

According to Hernandez, the Port plans to start a small local business program that identifies potential contractors and helps them meet the Port’s rigid qualifications, with representatives from Dominguez Hills on the advisory committee.

“Our operations are very precise, and there are a lot of standards involved,” she says. “We’re trying to demystify the process [by breaking it] into smaller parts that these businesses can handle while working their way up to being bigger players. Whether or not they obtain contracts with us, we want to help them become successful in finding their niche.”

Many student workers and interns have gained job experience at the Port, with the opportunity to explore its operations, from the mailroom to inspection services. Given the track record of student workers who find their career with the Port or the city of Los Angeles, Hernandez hopes that a future workforce development project will include CSUDH participation.

“We are actively providing jobs for students in training for their future careers,” she says. “Student workers who come to the Port learn enough about what goes on here that once they graduate, some of them are able to continue and become regular employees.”

- Joanie Harmon

Photos above, top to bottom:

Junior Paul Macatrao (Sociology/Digital Media Arts) is an intern at the Port in Human Resources.

Student interns Anna Padilla, senior, International Trade Academy at Banning High School (left) and CSUDH sophomore Yesenia Mendoza (Liberal Studies), get a first-hand look at the Port’s operations from Roy Benjamins, a CAD specialist in the engineering division.

Student intern Gabriela Perez, a senior at the International Trade Academy at Banning High School (left), and CSUDH senior Crystal Bergado (Graphic Design), who is a financial assistant in the financial management department, work on advertising for the Port.