TORONTO, Ont. – At the annual OTA conference last week, Ryan Tilley of Tandet Group addressed a room full of attendees and enlightened them on the benefits of the OTA’s Next Generation Certification program.

“We train our drivers to stay safe, our technicians to keep up on the latest technology, our sales staff on the latest rends – so why are we not investing more heavily in training the future leadership of our industry – those who will guide us, those who will make the key decisions that will ultimately dictate whether our business will succeed or fail?,” he posed to the audience.

Tilley, who is a graduate of the program, went on to say that NextGen isn’t just about education but it’s about future leaders meeting others in the industry who are like-minded.

“These young leaders all have fresh ideas and are getting an opportunity to bring them to the table at a time where our industry is going to face some significant challenges; especially with the no longer looming, but imminent driver shortage,” he said. “Having this group of peers to grow up with in the OTA will certainly help create more sustainable and participative members.”

NextGen is a four-part certification program that is delivered by the Humphrey Group. The program’s goal is to help new leaders inspire action in others – like drivers, customers and executive teams.

“If you do not make an investment in your future – you cannot expect to see an increased return,” Tilley added. “I can guarantee that acceptance of the status quo will eventually lead to stagnation within your business. And I can guarantee that a failure to recognize and acknowledge your future leaders within your organization will open the door for them to seek opportunities elsewhere.”

To view the full transcript of Tilley’s script click here.

Watch the promotional video of the program here: