The University of Missouri-St. Louis announced its Geospatial Workforce Development Pilot Program, designed to accelerate education, training, certification and research in geospatial science and technology across the St. Louis region.
The initiative supports the mission of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and strengthens the nation’s geospatial workforce at a pivotal moment for U.S. national security and economic competitiveness, according to a university statement. The program also aligns with national priorities aimed at enhancing domestic geospatial capabilities.
Reda Amer, executive director and UMSL’s principal investigator for the program, said the effort will connect K-12 schools with higher education institutions, industry, government agencies and nonprofit partners.
“With state-of-the-art facilities, including the Geospatial Advanced Technology Lab supported by Missouri’s MoExcels Workforce Initiative, the UMSL Geospatial Collaborative is poised to serve as a national model for geospatial workforce development,” Amer said.
“This initiative is about more than meeting today’s workforce needs,” Amer added. “It’s about securing America’s leadership in geospatial intelligence for decades to come — through education, innovation and collaboration.”
U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt introduced the National Geospatial Innovation Hub Advancement Act to strengthen America’s geospatial intelligence workforce and support the Department of Defense’s mission.