According to the criteria of the initiative, geospatial technologies are projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy or affect the growth of other industries; or they are an existing or emerging businesses being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skills sets for workers.

As part of the report, the DOL has provided an industry snapshot of geospatial technologies.

Growth Pattern

• The geospatial technology industry is defined as "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. (Geospatial workforce Development Center, University of southern Mississippi)
  
  
• The progressively complex and accelerating pace of change in the geospatial technology industry offers dramatic possibilities for meeting the increasingly sophisticated geospatial information demands of government, private industry, scientists, and the public. (U.S. Geological Survey)
  
  
• The worldwide market for geospatial technologies has enormous potential, Estimated at $5 billion in 2001, the market is projected to have annual revenues of $30 billion by 2005. (Geospatial Workforce Development Center, University of Southern Mississippi)
  
  
• The architecture and engineering occupations group, which includes surveyors, cartographers, photo-grammetrists, and surveying technicians, is 1 of the top 10 occupational groups projected to have the fastest growth in employment between 2002 and 2012. Employment in architecture and engineering occupations is expected to grow by 220,000, led by 22% increase in landscape architects. (U.S. bureau of Labor Statistics)
  
  
• Increasing demand for readily available, consistent, accurate, complete, and current geographic information and the widespread availability and use of advanced technologies offer great job opportunities for people with many different talents and educational backgrounds. (U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
  

Industry Outlook

Careers in geospatial technology disciplines are available in many segments of commercial, public, government, and academic communities. O*NET, the Occupational Information Network, has identified several occupations that may require geospatial competencies, including: cartographers, photogrammetrists, surveyors, civil drafters, electrical drafters, mechanical drafters, and technicians in aerospace engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, environmental engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, surveying, mapping, soil conservationists, range managers, foresters, geological data technicians, and geological sample test technicians. Other occupations listed by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing include geographers, physical scientists, computer scientists, geographical information systems (GIS), analysts, database administrators, and remote sensing scientists.

http://www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/

See also our spotlight feature on Geospatial21 The US DOL has awarded a US$1 million grant to Nortel Networks Kidz Online, a non-profit digital education service, and the NASA Center for Distance Learning to conduct a special, two-year educational program that will use interactive multimedia tools and broadband connectivity to train workers of the future for jobs related to geospatial technology.