On Wednesday, March 4 the CITD Global Logistics Program organized a tour of the Port of Oakland with a group of 12 regional community college faculty and staff members from Skyline College, Cañada College, Laney College, College of Alameda, and Contra Costa College. The tour was led by Skyline College Adjunct Faculty and Special Projects Coordinator, Yvonne Reid. The Port of Oakland is the nation’s fifth largest port and employees over 400 employees; with 50% of its workforce comprised of Alameda County and Oakland residents. The Port also acts as trustee on behalf of the State of California for all Port property and manages three business enterprises: Aviation, Maritime, and Commercial Real Estate. The group learned about the Ports contribution to BART’s Oakland Airport expansion, the flow of cargo between the marine terminals and intermodal rail facilities, and the many businesses and individuals who develop Port land, lease space, buildings, or marinas and other conveniences.
The group also enjoyed and participated in an informative presentation and discussion about the Port of Oakland and its “aim at facilitating inclusion, fairness, equity and access to economic opportunities, programs and services of the Port, for the people and businesses in the Port Community” (Port of Oakland, 2015). The group was treated to an hour-long tour of the Port’s container terminals and intermodal rail facilities. The group enjoyed breathtaking views of containerships and panoramic views of bay area bridges, and some hidden treasures on the grounds. The event concluded with a networking lunch at one of the Port’s Jack London Square restaurants where all attendees exchanged business contact information.
As part of one of the California Community Colleges state-wide initiatives, partnering with industry, the Skyline College Center for International Trade Development (CITD) along with Bay Area Region Global Logistics and International Trade program look to build a fruitful partnership with the Port of Oakland.
For more information about the CITD and the Global Trade & Logistics Program, please contact Yvonne Reid, MS BA at reidy@smccd.edu, telephone: 650-738-7098.
Article by Yvonne Reid | Photos by Pcyeta Stroud
