ACSM Bulletin | October 2006 | #223
GIWIS launched
Attendees at the 2006 GIS in the Rockies conference were witness to the launch of one of the most exciting Web information networks in the geospatial industry: the Geospatial Industry Workforce Information System, GIWIS (gee-whiz). The official launch of the nation’s first and only geospatial workforce information network took place September 13, 2006, at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Local educators, government officials, industry leaders, Denver-area workforce personnel, and approximately 200 conference attendees were on hand for the launch.
GIWIS is designed to address the needs of the entire Denver metro area’s geospatial workforce pipeline, from high school students to educators to employers. The purpose of GIWIS is to help educate and motivate workers to enter the geospatial industry in Denver. The launch of the GIWIS site is the culmination of an effort by the Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) and the Association of American Geographers (AAG), Wash., D.C., to study and identify the needs, challenges, and priorities in building and strengthening the geospatial workforce. The study was funded by a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The grant supports President Bush’s High Growth Job Training Initiative by forming high-level partnerships to collaboratively develop solutions to meet the workforce challenges and labor shortages facing the geospatial industry.
“Our goal in creating GIWIS is to motivate students and workers to enter Denver’s geospatial workforce,” said GITA Executive Director Bob Samborski. “We believe this site has great potential and will continuously evolve, and we are hopeful that it will be a catalyst in many new partnerships and industry opportunities.”
GIWIS, located at www.giwis.org, will enable educators, industry representatives, and workplace experts to communicate the opportunities available in the industry, skills required, and locations of educational institutions that offer geospatial programs in the Denver area. “The GIWIS site will provide an important tool to make sense of the wide and evolving array of geospatial uses, skills, and potential career paths,” said Jon Gottsegen, GIS Coordinator for the State of Colorado. “I believe this will promote a congruity for the demand side of GIS skills and training so there is a well-prepared workforce out there to fill GIS jobs.”
GITA past president Pete Gomez of Xcel Energy noted, “GIWIS will be a key tool that will help us not only staff but find those key skills that are needed to take this technology to the next generation and reflect and expand on where our roots really come from.”
Because job seekers will be able to find job descriptions and salary information in addition to job postings, Steve Hick, GIS Director at the University of Denver, feels the GIWIS portal will serve a valuable purpose. “What is the first question new students ask? ‘Are there any jobs out there?’ Historically, when it comes to advising students, five percent is academic, and 95 percent is career advising on who to turn to and where opportunities are,” said Hick. “GIWIS provides one-stop shopping because many of you send me job announcements every day. They come pouring in. Now we’ve got a place to compile all that.”
GIWIS will serve as a model for other cities on how to use collaborative partnerships to meet the geospatial workforce demands of the future. Those interested in learning more about GIWIS are encouraged to visit the site at www.giwis.org.