The University of Southern Mississippi GTAP – A 21 st Century Workforce Development Solution Presented to U. S. Department of Labor ATELS and SAA Staff Cyndi Gaudet, PhD The University of Southern Mississippi August 10, 2005

The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Economic and Workforce Development

The University of Southern Mississippi  Develop and disseminate models of best workforce development practices.  Provide products and services for improved workplace performance.  Implement systematic approach to measure workplace learning and performance.  Foster integration of technologies to improve workplace performance.  Provide internship and research opportunities for students. WLPI Goals

The University of Southern Mississippi Building Systems NOT Running Programs

The University of Southern Mississippi Today’s Objectives  Define Geospatial Industry  Explore Geospatial Technology Apprenticeship Program (GTAP) as a 21 st Century Workforce Development Solution Models that Integrate Existing Infrastructure – employment, education, and economic development (e 3 ) Participating Employers Community College partnerships  Determine What Degree of “YES” You Can Answer to learning more about GTAP

The University of Southern Mississippi Geospatial – what is it?  Profession  Niche  Tool The debate continues...

The University of Southern Mississippi GeoSpatial Technology An information technology field of practice that acquires, manages, interprets, integrates, displays, analyzes, or otherwise uses data focusing on the geographic, temporal, and spatial context. It also includes development and life-cycle management of information technology tools to support the above. Research Outreach Task Force Focus Groups Role Experts Role Experts

The University of Southern Mississippi 100s of Scientists 1,000s of Technicians 10,000s of Specialists 100,000s of Individuals Image & Data Collectors Data Processors Value-Added Resellers Everyday Users Geospatial Technology Industry Workforce

The University of Southern Mississippi GITA Geospatial Information & Technology Association  The geospatial industry needs programs that ensure that people who work in the geospatial disciplines Receive broad education and training Can perform variety of skills Are competent in applying geospatial skills Competency is the key

The University of Southern Mississippi NWDETI NWDETI National Workforce Development Education and Training Initiative Develop a well-trained workforce for the geospatial marketplace  Customer driven to meet the needs of the industry  Uses existing resources and infrastructure  Creates systemic change in the way students and the incumbent workforce are trained and retrained

The University of Southern Mississippi Competency Model Research Focus Group Participants

The University of Southern Mississippi Geospatial Technology Competency Model ©

The University of Southern Mississippi Geospatial Workforce Development Tools Geospatial Technology Competency Model (GTCM) Geospatial Professional Online Assessment Tool Geospatial Workforce Development Web Portal Geospatial Workforce Readiness Scorecard Geospatial Technology Apprenticeship Program (GTAP)

The University of Southern Mississippi GTAP Design  Uses the apprenticeship approach to train highly-skilled, task- diverse occupational group – OJL and classroom instruction  Builds on outcomes of the NASA NWDETI  Establishes geospatial technology apprenticeship standards  Develops geospatial technology apprenticeship program with industry stakeholders  Creates the Geospatial Specialist credential

The University of Southern Mississippi Geospatial Specialist Geospatial Education, Training, & Experience Discipline Specific Education, Training, & Experience Organizational & Interpersonal Skills Nationally recognized credential

The University of Southern Mississippi GTAP Design  Identifies career paths/lattices for the geospatial workforce  Builds capacity of community colleges to offer geospatial technology certificate and technician/technology programs  Partners with One Stop Centers for skill building in geospatial technology occupations  Provides model for replication throughout the US  Uses technology as an enabler for effective workforce development models  Focuses on accountability

The University of Southern Mississippi GTAP Design  Provides infrastructure within hiring organization (public or private) that Diagnoses strengths and weaknesses in competency and performance Creates Individual Development Plans that can be tracked by both the employee (apprentice) and the supervisor (journeyworker) Sets up systems to provide feedback and accountability to support the Individual development plan and reinforce new skills and behaviors Embeds measurement and evaluation to determine ROI of program

The University of Southern Mississippi GTAP Implementation  Pilot program on the Mississippi Gulf Coast  Two-year apprenticeship program for high-tech industry  Multiple entry levels  Apprentice employed by a DOL approved employer  “Learn while you Earn”  Related Classroom Instruction  On-the-Job Learning  Journeyworker  Certified “Geospatial Specialist”

The University of Southern Mississippi Related Classroom Instruction  Community College Curricula 21 hours – five required courses and two elective community college courses Fundamentals of GIS Fundamentals of GIS Software Fundamentals of Remote Sensing Fundamentals of Database Fundamentals of Cartography Mapped to GTCM and Space S.T.A.R.S curriculum Agreement with local CCs to offer specific GTAP courses (time and location are customer driven)  Employer assessment of Apprentice can result in up to 9 hours of related instruction waived

The University of Southern Mississippi On-the-Job Learning Component  Flexible guidelines to fit organizational needs  Output-driven, competency-based  Learning Management System (LMS)  Apprentice mentored by Journeyworker

The University of Southern Mississippi Journeyworker/Job Mentor  Guides apprentice through the program  Assesses apprentice development and progress  Utilizes LMS for tracking apprentice progress  Becomes “conscious unconscious competent”

The University of Southern Mississippi Apprentices Gain  Valuable experience in an exciting high-growth business sector  Portable credentials recognized internationally  Highly marketable skills  Opportunity to earn course credit

The University of Southern Mississippi Participating GTAP Employers 3001 Coast Electric Mississippi Power Naval Oceanographic Office Planning Systems, Inc. 28 Apprentices

The University of Southern Mississippi Employers -- WIIFM? Employers -- WIIFM? What’s In It For Me? Proven apprenticeship model to develop geospatial workforce blending OJL and community college coursework. Journeyworker/Supervisor workshop (3-day) Systematic process for performance improvement Participation in a high growth 21 st century apprenticeship program Better-trained workforce with nationally recognized credential Participation in model that is Employer-driven (and valued)

The University of Southern Mississippi Community Colleges -- WIIFM? Community Colleges -- WIIFM? What’s In It For Me? Opportunity for students to become part of high-growth, high demand industry Participation in a high profile 21 st century training initiative for the geospatial industry Ability to build stronger partnerships and collaborations between employer/education/government organizations Integration of apprenticeship with existing educational infrastructure Participation in academic model that is employer-driven and valued Ability to offer program with nationally recognized credential

The University of Southern Mississippi 21 st Century Apprenticeship Model -- WIIFM? 21 st Century Apprenticeship Model -- WIIFM? What’s In It For Me? Education Workforce Development Economic Development = =

The University of Southern Mississippi What degree of YES can you answer to the call for 21 st Century Geospatial Workforce Development?  Are you building partnerships with education at all levels, WIBs, and economic development representatives?  Have you determined the geospatial workforce needs in your region or state?  Do you know what geospatial curricula has been integrated in the high school, community colleges and 4-year institutions in your region or state? Current Geospatial funded projects?  Have you considered apprenticeship as a viable workforce development solution for the geospatial marketplace?

The University of Southern Mississippi Workplace Learning & Performance Institute – Building Capacity for America’s 21 st Century Geospatial Workforce