New careers resources inspire students to study geography and GIS

Esri UK today announced a new Careers with GIS website, designed to inspire more students to study geography and GIS at GCSE, A-level and degree level, by highlighting the rewarding and exciting careers that these subjects lead to.

Containing stories from real professionals working with GIS (Geographic Information Systems), from drone pilots and engineers to those tackling climate change or conserving wildlife, the site dispels the outdated stereotypes of which careers are open to those with geography qualifications. The rich variety of jobs included demonstrates how geospatial technology skills are currently in growing demand across many different sectors, particularly within the sustainability and environmental industries.

Content on the site includes videos and interactive story maps to be used by teachers, parents/carers, careers advisors and students, to give inspiration when choosing subjects, helping people realise that studying geography and GIS is the first step towards a fulfilling career. Using filters, the site allows students to narrow down different job profiles which they are most interested in. Profiles include GIS experts working at Costain, Sustrans, The Rivers Trust, Plantlife International and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

“Teachers tell us that students face pressure to drop Geography because the huge range of well-paid and fulfilling jobs connected to the subject are invisible from the classroom. Careers with GIS has been created to reveal what’s out there, break down outdated stereotypes of what geographers do and who can be a geographer,” said Katie Hall, Education manager at Esri UK. “The geospatial sector is currently crying out for new people – particularly with the growth of environmental and climate change industries. Learning geography and GIS skills can help students find fulfilling careers, empowering them to make the world a better place.”

For geography undergraduates thinking about future careers, the site gives advice on what skills they’ll need to gain during their degree to apply for a growing range of jobs. Other useful resources include links to job vacancies, the GeoMentor scheme, plus industry sites including the Royal Geographical Society, Black Geographers and Women in Geospatial.

Steve Brace, Head of Education and Outdoor Learning, Royal Geographical Society, said: “From flying drones to working across Government, analysing Britain’s rivers or creating a new map of Qatar’s roads – Esri UK’s career materials illustrate the wide range of roles open to those who can apply their geographical expertise and GIS skills in the workplace. These jobs are helping businesses and governments achieve more and addressing the key challenges facing our societies and environment. So, if geography students want to see where GIS might take them, the Royal Geographical Society encourages them to find extra inspiration in Esri UK’s career profiles.”

Simon Holland, Head of Faculty for Geography, Bilborough Sixth Form College, Nottingham, commented: “GIS is such a big growth area for careers and lots of our students progress to this industry, often finding out about these careers after studying geography at university. Therefore, it’s invaluable to have such an exciting GIS careers resource which features a diverse range of people, job roles and backgrounds, for use at an earlier stage in their careers journey. ‘Careers with GIS’ is an excellent resource for integrating careers into teaching and for enabling students to explore in more depth the diverse and exciting world of careers with GIS.”

“The new website is different to other geography-related careers resources as it focuses on careers which use the technology and skills of GIS, which today includes interactive mapping, artificial intelligence, digital twins, drones and mobile apps,” concluded Hall. “The site is a long-term project which will see the content continue to grow – we’re now on the look-out for more professionals to feature on the site to help enthuse future GIS experts.”