The partnership between MK:U and DHL Supply Chain represents a significant step towards addressing one of the logistics sector’s longstanding challenges: improving gender representation in leadership roles.
Together, the organisations have launched the Women in Supply Chain Accelerator Programme – a pioneering degree apprenticeship designed to equip women with the knowledge, practical experience and leadership skills needed to thrive in one of the UK’s most important industries.
Combining academic excellence with real-world operational experience, the programme demonstrates how universities and employers can work collaboratively to create meaningful opportunities while tackling industry-wide skills shortages and diversity challenges.
The Challenge
Supply chain and logistics remain industries where women have historically been underrepresented, particularly in operational and senior leadership positions. While the sector continues to grow rapidly through advances in automation, sustainability and digital transformation, attracting diverse talent has become increasingly important for long-term success.
DHL recognised the need to build a stronger pipeline of female leaders by creating an alternative route into supply chain management that combines education, employment and structured leadership development. MK:U, with its employer-led approach to higher education and degree apprenticeships, was the ideal academic partner to help deliver this vision. Together with Cranfield University, the partnership created a programme that removes traditional barriers to higher education by enabling apprentices to earn a fully funded degree while gaining valuable industry experience.
The Solution
The Women in Supply Chain Accelerator Programme is a four-year Degree Level Apprenticeship that blends academic study with hands-on experience across DHL Supply Chain’s operations. Participants are employed by DHL while studying through MK:U, allowing them to immediately apply classroom learning within a live business environment. Alongside technical knowledge, apprentices receive mentoring, leadership development and exposure to different areas of the business, preparing them for future management roles.
The programme has been carefully designed to:
- Increase female representation within supply chain leadership.
- Develop future operational and business leaders.
- Provide accessible routes into higher education.
- Combine academic learning with practical workplace experience.
- Support DHL’s wider diversity, equity and inclusion ambitions.
Bringing the Partnership to Life
To showcase the impact of the programme, MK:U and DHL commissioned a series of promotional films highlighting the experiences of apprentices, academic staff and industry leaders.
Filmed across both the MK:U campus and DHL Supply Chain’s Milton Keynes operations, the production captured interviews with different stakeholder who shared their perspectives on the programme’s vision, benefits and long-term ambitions.
Why the Partnership Matters
The Women in Supply Chain Accelerator Programme is more than a degree apprenticeship—it represents a new model for developing talent. By combining academic learning, workplace experience and targeted leadership development, MK:U and DHL have created a programme that supports both individual career progression and wider industry transformation. As supply chains continue to evolve through technological innovation and changing workforce demands, initiatives such as this help ensure the sector benefits from a broader, more diverse talent pool capable of leading future growth.
Young talent bring their own set of new ideas and it’s essential for us to bring that to the organisation and add to the diverse pot of thinking we have. I’m incredibly proud of Cranfield (MK:U) and DHL for collaborating on Women in Supply Chain Accelerator Programme.
Andrew Wayer, Chief Information Officer, DHL Supply Chain
Looking Ahead
The partnership demonstrates what can be achieved when higher education and industry collaborate around a shared purpose. Through continued investment in apprenticeships, leadership development and inclusive recruitment, MK:U and DHL are helping shape the next generation of supply chain professionals while creating lasting opportunities for women to build successful careers in logistics. The Women in Supply Chain Accelerator Programme stands as an example of how employer-led education can drive innovation, improve diversity and develop the skilled workforce needed for the future of the UK supply chain sector.