ITC program prepares students for workforce

It was a study abroad experience in Nicaragua that started Rachel Travis on a path to complete a certificate program that has benefited her while at Grand Valley and will likely give her an advantage when competing for jobs after graduation.

Travis earned an Intercultural Training Certificate, which is designed to give students the skills needed to interact effectively and sensitively with diverse populations. The certificate program is offered through Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies and is open to all students.

Travis is a Meijer Honors College student, and a double major in supply chain management and marketing. She said she hopes to someday work internationally. "The ITC program gives you a perspective of other cultures and helps you understand the globalization involved in the business world, even among local companies," she said.

The study abroad trip Travis took to Nicaragua fulfilled the ITC's practicum requirement. While there, Travis and other students hosted a workshop on social innovation for residents, which she said focused on solving a problem specific to the area.

"The overarching topics were global warming, clean water and medical improvements, so we helped people create mocked-up products dealing with these topics," she said.

Travis successfully applied to be an American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) Scholar and gave a poster presentation on increasing supplier diversity at association's conference in Washington, D.C., in late September.

Her APICS presentation stemmed from Travis' ITC capstone project, which was a plan that business owners can incorporate to increase diversity into their supplier base. 

Next summer, Travis will work with Jaideep Motwani, chair and professor of management in the Seidman College of Business, to develop case studies with local firms on supplier diversity. "Based on Rachel's interviews and findings, we plan to develop a framework that organizations can utilize to take their supplier diversity programs to the next level," Motwani said.

Motwani said he is a strong proponent of intercultural training and education and often stresses that to his students.

"In today's world, every organization's supply chain is global. Understanding and appreciating cultural diversity is crucial and essential," he said.

For more information about the Intercultural Training Certificate, click here.