DMTV #9: The GeoTech Center-The Link Between Academia and the Workforce

The National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence, the GeoTech Center, is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Advanced Technology Education (ATE) center that was started in 2008. Directions Media’s Editor in Chief, Joe Francica, interviews Dr. Phillip Davis, the center’s director, about the center and its involvement in developing the Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM) for the U.S. Department of Labor. The GTCM is an effort to define the core competencies of the geospatial professional to support curriculum development at colleges and universities, and to promote workforce development. The GeoTech Center, then, is a vital link in helping prepare students to become the next generation of geospatial professionals and to meet the demands of a growing industry in geospatial technology.