OCC Foundation to use $45K donation to support students pursuing careers in supply chain management

ONONDAGA, N.Y. — The Onondaga Community College (OCC) Foundation will use a $45,000 donation to benefit OCC students pursuing a career in a supply chain-related field.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) of Greater Syracuse on Thursday announced the donation during a ceremony at OCC.

The community college will use the funding to annually award a returning OCC student $2,000 to help cover expenses, beginning with the fall 2021 semester.

Supply chain-related careers include purchasing, procurement, logistics, warehousing, operations, inventory, and “other industry standards as they evolve,” OCC said.

The school cites data from the New York State Department of Labor that indicates positions related to supply chain and logistics will see a 13.5 percent growth rate through 2026. In Central New York, Amazon is building two large distribution centers, the college noted.

“We’ve chosen the right partner in Onondaga Community College,” Mary Rhoades, president of the ISM of Greater Syracuse, said. “It’s important to us we meet a vital need for future OCC students who want the opportunity to complete their education in order to make a positive impact in the growing supply chain industry, especially here in Central New York.”

The nonprofit OCC Foundation is the fundraising arm of OCC. Founded in 1980 and governed by a 25-member board of directors, the foundation annually distributes more than $800,000 in charitable gifts in support of student scholarships, student and academic support, faculty and staff professional development, and student emergency funds.