More Young Professionals Drawn to Tech-Related Roles in Logistics Sector

They seek to flex their skills in AI, analytics and automation in firms undergoing digital transformation

- Sharon Salim

Gone are the days when logistics was seen as an unglamorous, manual labour-intensive field.

As many bigger logistics firms undergo digital transformation in recent years, they also become increasingly attractive to young professionals looking for opportunities to flex their skills in analytics, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) in the sector.

For logistics firm Schenker Singapore, the company has seen a 150 per cent increase in the number of new employees aged 35 and below in the year between April 2024 and March 2025, compared with the same period two years ago.

One of its young operations executives, Ms Cindy Toh, came to learn about the shift towards digitalisation and automation in the sector when she was interning at another logistics company's air-freight department.

Her role now involves identifying automation opportunities and developing digital solutions to streamline operations. For example, she has developed a customised app for a cloud service provider, which is used among her colleagues across Europe, Africa and the Middle East as a one-stop solution covering operations, performance and compliance.

"When I tell my family and friends that I work in the logistics sector, they are usually curious about what exactly I do as they often associate logistics with just moving cargo," the 26-year-old said, adding that she often has to explain that the "vast and exciting industry" offers much more than that, with roles in information technology systems, project management and industrial engineering.

"The most rewarding part for me is seeing the solutions I built being successfully adopted by the operations team," she said.

In another example, multinational logistics company DHL Singapore has seen a "gradual increase of interest" in the sector among younger employees, specifically in roles involving supply chain analytics, operations planning and tech-enabled logistics.