Supply chain management used to fall under the radar for young people entering the workforce. Once seen as unglamorous, male-dominated work, the industry is now a dynamic, versatile arena for young people, as the convergence of advanced technology and global instability has catapulted the importance of supply chains to be at the forefront of strategic thinking for organisations and businesses.
ThreeSixty Consultant Gemma Temouskos and Senior Consultant – Commercials & Analytics James Spiteri describe how they entered the industry, and why they recommend others should take the plunge.
Scope and stability
Research by Jobs and Skills Australia conducted in 2025 with C-suite leaders describes an ageing, male-dominated workforce and explicitly highlights a ‘gap in the pipeline’ for younger workers, suggesting that participation by younger age groups has not yet caught up with demand. This has been a challenge for supply chains for many years, but the dial is starting to move, as more young professionals put their hand up.
Deloitte Access Economics forecasts that supply chain and logistics employment has been growing faster than the overall workforce. This is much needed, as supply chain require creative thinkers to bring fresh perspectives given the rise of automation, robotics and new technologies.
According to Gemma Temouskos, the breadth of the supply chain industry surprised her. “Despite knowing what supply chains were and how they work, it’s not until you actually see them in action that you realise just how connected every single process is from start to finish and how it touches all business functions,” she explains.
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Initially drawn to supply chain’s ‘hands-on nature’, Gemma says she knew she would be kept engaged and challenged, with ‘ThreeSixty going that extra mile of not just solutioning but executing the solution as well’. Starting as an intern in 2023, she observed team members with decades of system experience solving complex challenges, leading her to stay on in a consultant role when her internship finished. Gemma has already been recognised for her contribution to the industry by her peers, winning a high commendation in the Future Leaders category at the 2024 Australian Supply Chain & Logistics Awards.
James Spiteri highlights accessibility and stability. He found work as a customer service specialist at a transport company – his entry point into supply chain. The field offered clear pathways, without extensive prerequisites or barriers to entry. “It’s a welcoming industry,” he notes, pointing to the knowledge-sharing culture between people of all levels of expertise.
“My thinking when I was young was that supply chains don’t go away. They’re stable, and you’re not exposed to market conditions in the same way that other businesses are.”
James acknowledges that AI will reshape entry-level opportunities – jobs which involve repetitive, manual tasks – in supply chain, but he says this shouldn’t deter the younger workforce, pointing out that technology historically creates more jobs than it eliminates.
“The shift that young people will need to account for is the rapid uptake of technology, the requirement to think strategically and analytically to keep up with the fast-paced environment that is supply chain. Given those entering the workforce have the upper hand by having grown up with technology, this shouldn’t be a major challenge,” he says.
Supply chain: stumbling across a ‘pot of gold’
Gemma didn’t set out to work in supply chain at the start of her career. She was looking to merge her drive for sustainable innovation with practical business solutions and describes supply chain as a ‘pot of gold’ she accidentally fell into.
“It’s not often you have people striving to be in supply chain. It does tend to be a pot of gold that you accidentally stumble across, and then realise this is for me,” she reflects.
James says the industry has changed a lot since he entered it over a decade ago. “I think that there has been a changing of the guard,” he says.
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“Supply Chain has traditionally been a male dominated industry, and what I’ve noticed in my time is that experienced professionals who’ve been in the industry for decades are now sharing their knowledge equally to strengthen their teams. It’s welcoming, and there’s a real openness to share experience and help people upskill which is helping shrink the gender imbalance.”
Overcoming misconceptions
The biggest hurdle when it comes to attracting young talent to supply chain, is trying to address misconceptions about the industry, and changing public perceptions of what jobs fall within the space. “When I first thought of supply chains, I only ever considered the logistics side of it – it’s just getting things from A to B,” Gemma says, “but you very quickly come to realise supply chains encompass absolutely everything.”
Common misunderstandings mean people assume supply chain is limited to warehousing and truck drivers, thinking it’s not applicable to their skillsets. When the reality is: supply chain encompasses a wide range of interests, including sustainability, finance, technology, automation, robotics, AI and engineering systems, operations, project management, analytics, and business strategy.
Gemma – whose master’s degree was in corporate sustainability – says her hopes for the next few years at ThreeSixty are to drive sustainability and environmental messaging into supply chain processes and incorporate her previous background into her workstream.
“I love finding the sustainability edge in the projects I’m working on and offering that as a type of service too,” Gemma says. She says taking the plunge into supply chain also made her confront assumptions about being a young woman in the industry. At 23 when Gemma first joined, she expected it would be difficult to establish herself. “But I’m happy to report it’s all been really positive, I’ve received immense support from those around me” she says, noting she was noticing more young women entering the industry alongside her. “Whether it’s working on customer sites, new developments or strategising with colleagues in the office, I’ve seen firsthand the power of a team environment in a career in supply chain.”
