84
February 2019
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
SECTOR
INSIGHT:
.
mil
formation Science and Technology (GIS&T) has naturally
resisted professionalization—the discipline is extremely di-
verse in approaches and applications, has a rich heritage of
varied educational programs that reflects this diversity, and
this results in a productive a workforce with a wealth of dif-
ferent skills.”
3
Understanding the diversity of the geospatial
workforce and natural resistance is at the heart of why one
ubiquitous certification is difficult to create and even more
difficult to gain universal acceptance. For example, the com-
petencies of a private sector geospatial professional might not
align with competencies required in the private sector. The
public sector is not traditionally focused on market growth
or stock value, and crucial employee competencies may be
inefficient with respect to similar job requirements in the
private sector. For example, a photogrammetrist in an intel-
ligence agency might work various forms of digital data and
require an understanding of flight patterns of many aerial
platforms and several digital formats, but a photogramme-
trist in the private sector may work with one specific platform
and use both hardcopy and softcopy formats. There are cer-
tain skillsets that all photogrammetrists should possess, and
those lend themselves to a broad-based certification, but it
would be difficult to achieve (and keep up-to-date) one single
comprehensive certification. In the future, it might be plau-
sible to develop a series of certifications that can be attained
though achieving various levels of proficiency, with a goal of
being internationally recognized and cost-effective to devel-
op, maintain, and administer.
The Future of Certification: Opportunities
T
he various geospatial certifications bring numerous oppor-
tunities for the future. Of note, certificates have shown the
largest growth among college credentials over the past 30
years, according to a 2013 study by the Georgetown Univer-
sity Center on Education and the Workforce.
4
The future is
expected to bring additional collaboration between the public
and private sectors, which can improve the long-term certifi-
cation process. One area where collaboration could be where
the introduction of new technologies doesn’t immediately put
a certification into legacy status, but actually extends it to
a new phase of credentialing. Certification entities develop
strategies for students to build skills in existing education-
al programs to achieve specific certifications while in school.
Lowering the cost and barriers to entry while building long-
term loyalty to a brand. Colleges and university curriculum
developers should explore options to implement certifications
at a discounted cost by partnering with private businesses.
Companies could also work with community colleges to devel-
op programs that can be taught in house to lower personnel
and overhead costs inherently built into the cost of any certi-
fication. This allows the members of the geospatial communi-
ty to determine, but not mandate, pathways to certification,
and encourage both the public and private sectors to fill the
training, education, and experience required. Any entity can
create and maintain a certification, as long as it meets the
prescribed requirements outlined by the accrediting body.
This allows a ready-made workforce with specific skill sets
needed in the geospatial industry. It also allows companies to
preserve their precious training dollars, focus on operational
requirements, and support relevant certifications that enable
the professional growth and long-term viability of the geospa-
tial workforce.
Authors
Jared Ware
, GISP, CGP-G, is a Senior GIS Manager for
the Texas Railroad Commission. Previously he served as an
Assistant Professor with the Geospatial information Science
Program in the Department of Geography and Environmen-
tal Engineering at the United States Military Academy. He
is a retired United States Army Engineer officer and has pre-
sented at previous ASPRS Conferences on the topics of GPS
and lidar.
LTC Merlin F. Anderson
, GISP (GPC-F, GA-II, CA-II) LTC,
EN, serves as the Geospatial Plans & Policy Officer on the
Army Support Team at the National Geospatial-Intelligence
Agency in Springfield, VA. He was commissioned into the
Regular Army as a Second Lieutenant in the Engineer Regi-
ment in 2001 through The United States Military Academy,
at West Point, New York. He is both a certified GEOINT Pro-
fessional (GPC-F, GA-II, and CA-II) and GIS-Professional.
1 Cyndi H. Gaudet, Heather M. Annulis, and Jon C. Carr
(2003) Building the Geospatial Workforce, URISA Journal,
11(2), 53-60.
2 Michael Renslow (2017) ASPRS Certification Program,
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing, 83(7),
467–470.
3 Steven D. Prager & Brandon Plewe (2009) Assessment and
Evaluation of GIScience Curriculum using the Geographic
Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge,
Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 33(1) , 46-69.
4 Carnevale, A. P., Rose, S. J., & Hanson, A. R. (2013). Certif-
icates: Gateway to gainful employment and college degrees.
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Work-
force.
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