The New Geospatial Technology Competency Model: Bringing Workforce Needs into Focus

摘要

This article recounts a decade-long quest to define the U. S. geospatial industry and its workforce. Its focus is a milestone reached in 2009-2010, when the U.S. Department of Labor issued descriptions of five new geospatial occupations, estimates of current and projected geospatial employment, and a new Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM). The GTCM identifies the foundational, industry-wide, and industry sector-specific expertise that distinguishes, and binds together, successful geospatial professionals. It identifies 43 "core geospatial knowledge and abilities," as well as specialized competencies related to positioning and data acquisition, analysis and modeling, and software and application development. The paper describes the GTCM's content, the process by which it was developed, and its potential uses, including assessments of how higher-education curricula align with workforce needs.