Geo Skills Plus Workshop I

The Geo Skills Plus project started in October 2013 and this first workshop will be used as a platform to present the project’s overall goals and discuss results to date.

Many countries in Europe are struggling with challenges of linking geospatial Vocational Education and Training (VET) to labour market needs. .

This project will focus primarily on four countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and Netherlands.

The 2-year project aims to help provide an infrastructure to improve cooperation between vocational education and training and the world of work. This will enhance employability and participation in the geospatial labour market. The following work packages were defined to support these aims.

Bridging the Gap: What are the challenges towards meeting the needs of the labour market?

Raising Awareness: What has been done so far in Europe?

Cooperation Model: Who are the key players that need to take responsibility in order to improve the geospatial labour market?

Who should attend?
- Teachers of geospatial technologies
- Students of any field that has a geospatial component to it
- All levels of Government using geospatial technologies
- Companies that need skilled geospatial technologies employees
- Other stakeholders who feel attracted to this event.

Why you should attend:
- Learn about Geo Skills Plus project.
- Hear first hand from several country representatives about their challenges of linking
geospatial Vocational Education and Training (VET) to labour market needs.
- ...and what they are doing about it.
- Share your own stories.
- Give us your suggestions for an insfrastructure to improve cooperation between
education and world of work.
- Network with Europe.

PROGRAMME (revised version 16-5-14):
Day 1 – Wednesday 21 May 2014
0900-0905 Welcome by Paula Dijkstra Project Manager (Kadaster) NL
0905-0915 Background to Project by Hendrik Westerbeek, Project Partner (Geo
Employment Market Foundation) and initiator of project NL.
0915-0930 Goal of today’s agenda by Paula Dijkstra Project Manager NL
0930-0945 Work Package 1 – Cooperation Model by Jean-Yves Pirlot, President and
Project Partner BOLE vzw, Belgian Association of Professional Surveyors

0945-1015 Work Package 2 – Awareness Raising by Miria Piryankova, Chief Secretary,
GCCA, Bulgarian Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency, Bulgaria

1015-1030 Work Package 3 – Bridging the Gap by Romuald Obuchovski, Geography
Teacher, VGTU, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania

1030-1100 COFFEE BREAK

1100-1230 Company & Country Reports on the challenges of linking geospatial
vocational education and training to labour market needs.

• FUGRO, Martin Kodde, Manager Research & Development, NL
• Germany, Deiter Seitz, retired Publicly Appointed Surveyor, Burger-Seitz Engineering Office for Surveying and Geoinformation / Member CLGE
• Sweden, Jesper Paasch, Developer & Researcher, Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority
• Switzerland, Mathias Widmer, Cultural Engineer, Publicly Appointed Surveyor, GeoSuisse
• The Netherlands, Herman Janssen, Project Manager Innovation Education, SAGEO Geo Employment Market Foundation
• United Kingdom, Duncan Moss, Principal Consultant, Ordnance Survey
• CLGE GA results European Workshop, Paula Dijkstra, Project Manager

1230-1400 LUNCH

1400-1500 Break-out groups
1. Cooperation Models, Session prepared by Project Partner
BOLE vzw, Belgian Association of Professional Surveyors, Belgium
2. Raising Awareness activities, Session prepared by Project Partner GCCA,
Bulgarian Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency, Bulgaria
3. Bridging the Gap, Session prepared by Project Partner VGTU, Darius Popovas

1500-1530 Reporting back break-out groups

1530-1600 COFFEE BREAK

1600-1615 SOMA College, by Anke van Bodegom, Director
1615-1700 Tour of SOMA College by student guides

1700-1830 LEISURE TIME

1830 Informal Dinner in Harderwijk town
(Restaurant Gallura, Bruggestraat 7, 3841 CM Harderwijk)

Day 2 – Thursday, May 22, 2014

0900-0930 Keynote Speaker: International Perspective on Education
By Liza Groenedijk, ITC / Twente University Enschede NL and Chair-elect
FIG Commission 2 Education

0930-1030 Break out sessions

1. Definition(s) of VET, Vocational Education & Training in Europe and various levels of education for a Geospatial profession (Session by Jean-Yves Pirlot, President BOLE vzw and CLGE)

2. Today's job profiles for geospatial graduates and various levels of education (Session by Karl Donert, President EuroGEO)

1030-1100 COFFEE BREAK

1100-1130 Reporting back break-out groups

1130-1230 Best Practices
1. Geoplaza: Online portal to connect geospatial students and employers
(Session by Bettine Baas, Project Manager SAGEO Netherlands)

2. Related European Projects (GeoCube, School on the cloud, Dynamic
Knowledge Base, First Steps, Digital Jobs).

1230-1400 LUNCH

1400-1500 Final plenary on Recommendations for Geo Skills Plus project:

1. Cooperation Models
2. Raising Awareness activities
3. Bridging the Gap activities

1500-1530 Wrap up, by Paula Dijkstra, Project Manager

15.30-1600Informal Closing Reception

This event is free of charge.
All attendants are expected to pay their own travel and hotel costs.

HOTEL: All attendants are kindly requested to book their own hotels. We have a limited number of hotel rooms blocked 20 - 23 May 2014

1. Soma College. Please send an email to reservingen@bouwinfrapark.nl. Please mention "Geo Skills Plus". Single: EURO 66, Double EURO 83 per night including breakfast.
2. Best Western Hotel Baars. Please send an email to Vera.Bioch@kadaster.nlSingle: EURO 67.50,Double: EURO 77.50 per night including breakfast
SOLD OUT

3. Hotel Marktzicht. Please send an email to Vera.Bioch@kadaster.nl
Single: EURO 57.50,Double: EURO 77.50 per night including breakfast.

AIRPORT: The closest airport is Schiphol Airport.
It is best to travel by train from Schiphol Airport to Harderwijk. Travel time 1h32min. Trains depart every 30min. (EURO 13.90 one way).

Plan your Train trip to Harderwijk - http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/home

From the Harderwijk train station, bus 513, will take you to the SOMA College. It will take about 15 minutes and it rides every hour at x:49

Bus stop: Soma Bouw & Infra Park