Preparing for a Career at the Intersection of Geography and Computing: Availability and Access to Training Along Geocomputational Career Pathways.

The growth of the geospatial services industry is increasing the demand for a workforce with training at the intersection of geography and computing (i.e., geocomputation) in terms of skills, knowledge, and disciplinary background. To be more effective at increasing the supply of geocomputational professionals, we need to better understand the existing educational pathways that are available to acquire knowledge and skills in geography, computing, or both. In this article, we aimed to enhance our understanding of the current standing of geocomputational career pathways by (1) articulating the existing curriculum pathways from school to career and identifying broadening participation challenges associated with training opportunities; and (2) identifying specific gaps in knowledge, skills, and training needs and opportunities between geographers, computer scientists, and the geospatial technology industry. Our analysis of a survey of geocomputational professionals identified significant differences in knowledge, skills, and access to training between different educational pathways and between different demographic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]