How AGL Is Expanding Career Pathways for a Growing Workforce 

Logistics brings together traditional activities in cargo handling, transport and rail, alongside emerging roles driven by digitalization and sustainability. It creates both direct and indirect employment, while offering clear pathways for career growth.

Ports and rail platform operations rely on vital hands-on roles, including handlers, dock operators, truck drivers, stock managers, consignee agents, warehouse employees and logistics coordinators. Available to those with technical diplomas, these entry-level positions offer a practical gateway into the logistics and transport sector with clear pathways into planning, supervisory and management positions. As trade grows across Africa, demand for these essential roles is increasing.

In recognition of this momentum, African Global Logistics (AGL) has established strong partnerships with institutions that train individuals entering logistics professions.

AGL’s partnerships in Côte d'Ivoire and in Burkina Faso show how these training routes work in practice. For over a decade, AGL has collaborated with the Regional Academy of Marine Sciences and Techniques (ARSTM) in Côte d’Ivoire, welcoming around 100 trainees per year. Many go on to secure permanent roles, and AGL’s subsidiaries now employ more than 200 people who trained at ARSTM. 

The training pipeline also extends into rail. In Burkina Faso, the AGL subsidiary SITARAIL established the École Supérieure des Métiers Ferroviaires. Focused on preparing technicians and engineers for railway careers, it is the first school in West Africa created by a railway operator.

AGL’s training pathways are developing alongside a sector that is undergoing rapid transformation. Digital innovation and sustainability are among the forces reshaping the roles, skills and training the industry requires.

The digital revolution is creating demand for data analysts, cybersecurity specialists and cloud experts. In parallel, the ability for professionals in the sector to master modern supply chain tools such as WMS (warehouse management systems) and TMS (transport management systems) is also now a critical asset.

Yiri, AGL’s Abidjan-based innovation centre, was inaugurated in 2024 to offer training programs and masterclasses on digitalization-related topics. Designed to foster innovation, promote the adoption of new technologies, encourage entrepreneurship and support job creation, Yiri was created by AGL’s teams with the primary objective of equipping young professionals with the skills of the future.

Sustainability is creating a similar need for new expertise. As businesses work to lower their environmental impact, new roles are emerging in areas such as energy efficiency, logistics design, sustainable transport coordination and supply chain transparency and traceability. Acknowledging that the skills needed to fill these roles are still rare, AGL has established internal programmes to increase awareness and train its employees for the new sustainability challenges of logistics. 

Logistics provides tangible career opportunities for Africa’s next generation—offering both stability and a chance to help shape the continent’s future. However, the ability to operate a vehicle or manage a rail terminal is no longer enough. Future success will require mastery of such traditional skills as well as the ability to use digital tools, interpret data and develop innovative solutions.

For young people looking to start a career in logistics, AGL’s Director of Human Resources, Vincent Galindo, emphasizes a dual-track path. AGL’s partnerships and investments support that approach by combining training with a strong understanding of local talent and market needs. As Vincent Galindo explains, “We have remained in difficult times as well as in periods of growth. We know African talents and their potential. Where some recruit without mastering the context, we invest in training and supporting young people.”

As new entrants strive to establish themselves in African logistics, AGL’s long-standing roots, deep-seated knowledge of African ecosystems and unique breadth of activities give it a distinctive position in the sector. For young people entering logistics, that means access to a wider range of career opportunities – and the chance to turn a first role into a career with room to grow.

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