Logistics – the business of storing and distributing products of every description, economically and efficiently – is a key growth sector in south Essex.

A new course at South Essex College is now set to train the next generation that will form the industry’s lifeblood in the future.

The logistics and business course will be a core plank of the new £45million Thurrock campus when it opens its doors in September.

The man charged with setting up and delivering the new programme is course leader Mark Bentley, who arrives with 25 years in the logistics industry behind him.

Drawing on the language of the industry, Mark said: “This new course will help get careers from point A to point B. Logistics is an area of massive growth across south Essex, not just in Thurrock, the course location, but also in Basildon and beyond.

“The area is already well established as a centre for the industry, but the ripple effect of the DP World superport is going to generate enormous expansion, with a major impact on the local economy.

“That is why we have set up this course. We need to get the next generation of logisticians ready to take full advantage of these opportunities.”

Mark is already getting applications from Essex, but also from much further afield, for the 24 places on the course.

He said: “I’ve just interviewed one potential student over Skype in Belgium, so the word is really getting out about the course, not just locally, but across Europe.”

Mark says a qualification in logistics can open the way to a career almost anywhere in the world.

He says: “Students choosing to study our course should find that the world is their oyster.”

The course will mix classroom study with direct experience on the shop-floor, courtesy of some of the many logistics companies already established in the Thurrock area.

Mark said: “Students will have the opportunity to go out into industry and actually see some of theoretical processes and teachings in action in the workplace.”

Local companies working with the college include Spinnaker Consulting, the world’s largest maritime recruitment organisation, based in Leigh.

Spinnaker’s chairman, Phil Parry said: “We feel very strongly that education in this industry is the key to taking it forward.

“It’s a global industry, yet young people don’t necessarily know a lot about it. In fact, it offers very good careers and the possibility to make very good money.

“There are particularly good opportunities in south Essex, given the port development and accompanying growth areas.”

Other partner companies on the course include AAH Pharmaceuticals.

The Romford company has a £2.6billion turnover, aided by state of the art warehousing.

Links have also been forged with Purfleet-based Canute, which is involved in almost every aspect of supply chain and logistics work, and Claridon Group, one of the leading freight transport companies on Thameside.