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28 February 2022
It is very difficult to recruit staff with experience in the Geodata area and also difficult to find suitable training to increase the competence of existing staff, shows a report that Lantmäteriet produced together with the Geodata Council members, municipalities, companies operating in the field of spatial data.
In some parts of the country, it is virtually impossible to recruit staff with academic training in the geodata industry.
- In the work, it has become clear that we see a future lack of competence in the geodata industry, it is already difficult today to find people who meet the requirements for a recruitment, says Magnus Forsberg, head of the Geodata Council, Lantmäteriet.
In 2021, a survey of how the supply of skills in the geodata area can be secured has been carried out. The report states that it is particularly difficult to recruit staff with experience in the Geodata area. At the same time, it is also perceived as difficult to find suitable training to increase the skills of existing staff.
- We see a great need for increased access to skills in computer science linked to geodata in a future digital society, Magnus Forsberg continues.
In the work of preparing the report, it emerged that the industry agreed that there is a great risk that we will miss out on the possibilities of digitalisation if we do not solve the existing skills shortage. This is not only a problem for the industry but also a change that affects the universities that educate students in the field of geodata.
In order to be able to solve future challenges in the field of geodata, we see that we need ensure competence in, among other things, the following professional categories:
- Competence in IT in combination with knowledge in geodata
- GIS engineers
- Surveyors with a technical or legal focus
- Lawyers with specialist knowledge in public IT law
- There has been a great deal of commitment in all sectors and there is a consensus on messages and needs among those who have participated. The people we had the dialogue with are people who have a long experience in the industry, which has given us a clear picture of the consistent needs, says Magnus Forsberg.
The report points to the risks and consequences of the lack of competence in the field and based on it developed proposals for measures:
- Form a national competence center
- Provide a range of courses for the industry
- Appoint a research funder authority
- Provide designated training secured funding.
- Form an industry council.
- It is important that everyone takes their responsibility, both decision-makers and us players in the industry need to create opportunities for competence supply and competence development among our employees, says Magnus Forsberg in conclusion. The industry needs to work together because we are usually small units that are invisible but become visible when we do this together. In addition, state aid is needed through decisions in line with the proposals.