Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Developing Geographic Competencies for Careers in Higher Education, Business, Government, and
Nonprofit Organizations
Michael Solem, PhD
Association of American Geographers: Washington, DC
DECOWE Conference
24-26 September 2009, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
0
50
99/00 – 04/05PhD Programs
UG PhDMA
66%
33% 33%
8%12% 14% 11%
0
50
Geography in Higher Education
0
50
UG PhDMATTUG PhDMA0
50
87/88 – 03/04US HE Institutes
Assesses the nature of the work performed by geography graduates and the value of their skills and abilities for employment in a variety of professions.
In U.S. at time of this study, there was no national data set on types, numbers, and categories of jobs in geography.
Few studies have examined (a) how academic geography programs prepare students for careers, (b) the career paths of geography graduates, and (c) how geographic skills are applied in the workforce.
Research Goals
MethodologyAdvisory Committee
(15 members)
8 Focus Groups[private co; gov; HE]
(50 members)
•Define parameters ofProfessional geography
•Interview protocol
O*Net145
occupations •Knowledge/skills (geog/general)•Roles/Positions of responsibility
•Supply of quality workforce•Needs/improvement
•Change/future
Surveys
•Geomorphology•Weather & climate
•Biogeography•Natural hazards
•Economic geography•Political geography•Cultural geography
•Population geography•Human-environment interaction
•Cartography•Geographic information systems (GIS)
•Photogrammetry*•Remote sensing*
•Field methods•Spatial statistics
•Regional geography•Interdisciplinary perspective
•Spatial thinking•Global perspective
•Diversity perspective
•Public speaking•Writing
•Foreign (non-English) language skills•Visual presentations•Creative thinking*•Problem solving*
•Research planning & design•Qualitative skills
•Quantitative skills•Professional & organizational culture
•Visioning*•Supervising
•Entrepreneurial skills•Teamwork
•Coaching & advising*•Relationship building skills*
•Intercultural skills•Teaching
•Computer & technology skills*•Publishing
•Information management•Grant proposals
•Time management•Adaptability
•Self-awareness•Ethical practice*
•Project management•Fiscal management
20 Geographic skills 29 General skills
AlumniSurvey(280)
Classification ofGeographic & General
Skill Areas Rotated PCA
Applications of skillsin employment sectors Chi-square statistics
Applications of skills Rank order
“always or very often”performs 49
geographic and generalskills
Percent respondents staying “always or very often”
Skills currently needed Rank order
Likely to increase in needOver next 3 to 5 years
Rank order
Experiencing “some difficulty”or
“failing” to meet hiring needs Rank order
Current & futureemployers’ demand in
geographic and generalskills
EmployerSurvey(447)
Discussion
• Clear discrimination of skills related to physical geography, human geography, and geographic information science & technology.
• Professionals need to be good managers, communicators, writers, and problem solvers.
• Value of specialized knowledge in geography often varies.
• Ability to think spatially, having an interdisciplinary perspective, and geospatial technologies were broadly valued.
Discussion
• Many geographic and general skills are in high demand, yet the curriculum offered by academic departments may not be producing those skills at a level required to satisfy that need.
• In higher education, a growing need for faculty who are skilled in computer technology, time and information management, publishing, and grant proposal writing is predicted.
• Many students lack information about careers in non-academic professional sectors.
Developing Geographic Competencies for Careers in Higher Education, Business, Government, and Nonprofit OrganizationsDeveloping Geographic Competencies for Careers in Higher Education, Business, Government, and Nonprofit OrganizationsDeveloping Geographic Competencies for Careers in Higher Education, Business, Government, and Nonprofit Organizations
