GIS training for Continuing Professional Development: the Diploma in GIS at University College Cork

The continuing spread and diffusion of geographical information systems (GIS) technology and methods, into almost all sectors of society, often results in substantial changes to existing work flows, job descriptions and the balance of skills needed within organisations. Responding to these changing demands can be achieved either through recruiting new (and invariably younger) staff with the required skills, or through retraining existing personnel. At present, comparatively few opportunities exist within many educational programmes for the latter option. This paper describes an innovative and highly succesful part-time Diploma in Geographical Information Systems (DipGIS) course, conceived and administered jointly by the Department of Geography and the Department of Adult Continuing Education at University College Cork, Ireland. This course is specifically designed to address the in-service education and continuous professional development needs of established staff in organisations engaged in the move to digital geographic information handling. It is organised on a part-time basis, to facilitate the needs of the working (would- be) GIS professional, and the core of the instruction is provided by staff from the University, with supplementary teaching and specialist instruction provided by guest lecturers from the Ordnance Survey of Ireland, the commercial sector, and representatives of the GIS end-user community as required. In its three years of operation to date, the Diploma has attracted students from all parts of the island of Ireland, and from a wide variety of sectors and activities, including local authorities, government departments, state- and semi-state owned enterprises, the Garda Siochana (Irish police) and the Naval Service, the Ordnance Survey of Ireland, and a number of GIS users, consultancies, service bureaux and system vendors from within the private sector.