Redressing the gender imbalance to combat skills shortages
Skills shortage in the spatial industry is already with us and will only get worse with both declining student numbers and retiring “baby boomers”. The skills shortage is particularly prevalent in Western Australia with the current mining boom and a game of reverse musical chairs is being played, as fewer spatial scientists than chairs move constantly through higher salary packages being offered.
Urgent action is needed, as highlighted by the Spatial Education Advisory Committee’s strategy launched in mid-2006 following a summit on the question of education relating to a shortage of spatial skills.
Western Australia has a healthy and vibrant spatial industry with the state’s peak groups, the Spatial Sciences Institute, the Australian Spatial Business Industry Association and the Western Australian Land Information System (representing government) working together to raise awareness of the spatial industry. It is commonly recognised there is a strong gender imbalance in the industry. At the Spatial Interoperability Demonstration Project roadshow in 2005, only five of the 117 participants were women.
To help redress this imbalance, a new group, called Women in Geographic Information Technology (WinGIT) was formed with support from both SSI and ASIBA. It became a special interest group in SSI and now has over 70 members. It aims to encourage young people into the industry and provide ongoing support and professional development. WinGIT also oversees the SSI Spatial Technology in Schools competition in WA. In 2006 14 schools entered the competition and over 20 are expected to participate in 2007.
This paper will outline some of the strategies Western Australia is adopting to make the spatial industry a more exciting career option, part of which can only be addressed through redressing the gender imbalance.