Integrated analysis of the demand for and supply of geospatial education and training : Results of the GI-N2K Surveys

This report describes the situation in 2014 with regard to the demand for and the supply of education and training in the domain of geographic information (“GI”). It is the outcome of an analysis of the results of two simultaneous internet surveys, directed at two target groups in 25 European countries. The first target group, the demand side, consisted of organisations and companies with a need for geographic information competences. At the supply side the survey was directed at organisations that offer teaching in this field. The analysis focused on three aspects: the awareness and use of the GIS&T BoK, the GI knowledge domain reference document; the possible gap between needed competences and teaching on offer; and the incompleteness of the GIS&T BoK. The conclusions are as follows. Awareness and use of the GIS&T BoK are limited at the supply side and even more limited at the demand side. With regard to a possible teaching gap: indications were found but no conclusive evidence of its existence. The incompleteness of the GIS&T BoK was substantiated by the respondents providing dozens of subjects not included in the first edition. These results are to be used in subsequent work packages of the GI-N2K project, heading for an improved version of the GIS&T BoK in 2016.