Future Occupational Profiles in Earth Observation and Geoinformation—Scenarios Resulting from Changing Workflows

Abstract

Technological advances require continuous efforts to keep existing curricula up-to-date and graduates employable in the Earth observation (EO) and geoinformation (GI) sectors. The increasing availability of space/geospatial data and the maturity of technology induce disruptive changes to workflows in the EO/GI sector that suggest the development of training programmes and academic courses for re-skilling of workforce and training new user groups. The target in the EO domain in this respect is to facilitate the ‘user uptake’ of the space infrastructure. User uptake requires knowledge of the workforce demand on the market as well as a skills strategy that takes potential emerging and disruptive changes in the sector into account. In the present contribution we build upon a study of demand for current workforce on the EO/GI market and occupational profiles that require priority when developing training programmes and curricula. Reflections on the findings of that study highlight the need to illustrate expected changes of workflows, i.e. the sequence of tasks executed by employees with a certain occupational profile, for an improved basis of discussion. Therefore, we present a methodology to first, acquire current occupational profiles and second, to illustrate sector developments by mapping the developments on tasks of the workflow. This methodology is demonstrated for the profile of remote sensing specialists. The illustration of changing tasks suggests scenarios for future workforce and questions and directions for the development of a sector skills strategy.