Disclaimer: This blog is not meant to provide certifications or any other type of educational credentials. It's contents are the opinions of the author, who is not a registered apprentice or involved in any official educational endeavor at the present time. The information provided herein is strictly for informational purposes, and, although the author would sincerely like to see the implementation of the type of programs mentioned herein to come about, there is no guarantee that any of the following will occur.
My Name and Some History of My Interest in Maps and Mapping
My name is Stephen A. Brown. I am a Map Maven! I have loved maps from an early age, starting with my own U.S. State of Michigan's highway map!
I just loved the smell of a crisp, new, tightly folded Michigan highway map. I inhaled deeply of the new-ink-laden document, opening it carefully so as not to rip holes in it (a problem on occasion) and open it up to look at the Legend to see what had been newly added to it with respect to the last publication.
This was when I was about six or seven years of age!
I found it amazing that I could look at the Legend and see, for example, that a little red triangle meant a Roadside Park--usually with picnic tables and rest room facilities (sometimes primitive)--off of a non-freeway road, like a Michigan "M" route, or county road.
Later, a green triangle was added to the Legend, which meant Scenic Turnout, essentially the same as a Roadside Park, but without the amenities. As the years progressed, the Legend grew in complexity, when by 1976, we had a plethora of symbols on that map Legend, up from just a few in 1971.
I enjoyed this wonderful map for years, and still had an intense interest as I matured.
I still had a wonder in my eyes about maps, and, even as I matured through elementary, middle, and on into my high school years, I often marveled at the complexity and artistic domain of the humble cartographer, or map maker, who wasn't so humble in my regard.
Schooling and A Realization!
I have to admit, I was a horrid student! I was constantly in awe of everyone around me who could actually take seven periods of classes, get the homework, do it, turn it in on time, and Get Good Grades! I envied them, and was even jealous of them. I Wanted To Be Good! Just Like Them!
I found out, much to my chagrin, that I was not able to duplicate what my fellow students were, seemingly, doing with relative ease.
I was constantly falling behind my peers in most subjects, especially the science-based classes like Chemistry, Algebra, and Calculus (which I never got to take at all, even in my later college years, not having established foundations in algebra, trigonometry, and geometry.)
Statistics were out of the question! I just 'couldn't do math!'
Now, later on, I was diagnosed with varying types of 'disabilities,' although that label never got me very far, even with attention to the problem being provided by various 'professionals' from the school district.
I have this same problem today, and it has never gone away. Not once. Not recently. Not ever!
So now... AT AGE 50! ...I have decided to try to do something positive that will help myself to achieve what I couldn't achieve in my younger years: Become A Professional! In GIS Technology!
GPS, A Very Very Brief History
When GPS hit the scene in the early thousands, my interest in location-based mapping took off at high speed.
The NAVSTAR Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS--usually abbreviated to just 'GPS' these days) was started by the US Dept. of Defense for military operations. It started to become utilized later on in civilian circles, especially with commercial fisherman, and other off-shore, nautical uses.
The early days of civilian GPS were not easy ones, as there was placed within the GPS signals, a random 'error' impressed upon the portion of the signal civilians were allowed to use.
Ostensibly designed to keep unfriendly foreign powers from using the system for equally unfriendly activity, this signal, known generally as 'Selective Availability,' (SA) would remain until President Bill Clinton turned the system off in the early thousands, when it was clear that various economic interests were dependent upon this system being more accurate for the more generic user.
Also, as technology got better, the government found better ways of being able to foil misuse of the system, and this was another contributing factor for the removal of the error signal for civilian uses.
The lastest GPS receivers are marvels of accuracy, being able to locate an object down to a mere three feet at the highest level, and even more for professional grade GPS units.
Blog Specifics
Okay, that's my brief history and a little information about GPS and Mapping. So what is it I'm wanting to do with this blog?
The Goal: Create A Registered Apprenticeship Program in the United States for GIS Technicians, but WITHOUT COLLEGE!
Why no college involvement? Simply put, GIS technology is computer-based. One doesn't need a plethora of unnecessary humanities classes to operate the software which GIS uses.
One certainly needs to be computer literate, but it doesn't take an MS or Ph.D. to be a GIS Technician. If one can 'point and click' one can learn to operate GIS software, and create feature-rich maps with it!
Registered Apprenticeships in the United States pertain, at present, to mainly the skilled labor areas of brick masonry, carpentry, construction, plumbing, and any other type of job where 'manual labor' is usually a part of it.
GIS Technology is pretty much 'brand new' to be considered for Apprenticeships, but the government has it listed in it's list, even if there aren't any traditional programs yet available.
It Is My Desire To Change That!
Registered, Paid, On-The-Job GIS Training!
Registered Apprenticeship is a paid endeavor! One 'earns while one learns,' which, according to the government apprenticeship web site, has been the mainstay of Registered Apprenticehip for over seventy (70) years!
If bricklayers and carpenters and plumbers have been benefiting from this framework for nearly three quarters of a century, then why not a more technical field like that of a GIS Technician?
Here's What I Propose:
1. The establishment of a traditional Registered Apprenticeship Program for GIS Techicians.
2. The implementation of this type of a program in various Vocational/Technical (Vo-Tech) Centers, which may or may not be adjuncts to local high schools. (My main gripe is with college, not so much training at the high school level when learners are still young.)
3. Age Focus Areas:
Legal Work Permit Age (Typically 14) - Focus on late middle school and high school as primary focus areas for young learners who will 'carry the work force forward' as they mature into adults.
Adult Learners (Including Disabled Adults) - These learners have different needs than their younger counterparts. There are many reasons that a Registered Apprenticeship Program that properly addresses the needs of an older workforce (in an area of Emerging Technology like GIS) can grow a new breed of technician, perhaps in half the time of the program for younger learners.
Now let me get to the 'no college involvement' aspect of this article.
Why No College?
This is an area I have to admit to having a bit of personal prejudice towards. Why? Simply because I have not succeed at college. I don't hate college, per se, I just can't succeed within the traditional college atmosphere.
I want to provide the means for other people like myself to succeed. Those of us who don't learn in the neo-linear fashion of a traditional collegiate curriculum, but rather learn in a more direct way, without the pressure of multiple disciplines vying for study time and attention.
When a bricklayer apprentice begins to study masonry, they learn from the Master or Journeyman worker assigned to them to teach the 'lore' (makeup, history, technical details, etc.) of how the profession of bricklaying works.
Plumbers, the same way. One learns from a Master or Journeyman plumber about pipe materials, their composition, strength factors, etc.
GIS Technicians can be taught in the same way, learning about the history of traditional map making, and the newer computer-based GIS technology that permeates the modern world of GPS/GIS systems. and databases.
I believe this can be done via the private sector through privately-funded GIS training centers, which could be developed for government-funded Registered GIS Apprenticeship Programs.
Registered Apprenticeships are a contract to train someone, with the government providing part of the funding. The other part of the funding would be provided by the training centers which may, or may not, have to charge some type of general fee.
The above statements are based on what I have read so far, and this blog is far from comprehensive at the present moment, so the above statements will probably have to be augmented in time.
This is just the beginning. We'll see what the future holds--as well as if this subject will merit my continued support, or just prove to be yet another area in which I have a fleeting interest.
