The following is a abstract for a talk/paper describing how open source helps to enable professionals rather than just train them as users.

Enabling Geoprofessionals with Open Source Toolkits

Professional development is critical to training and retaining geospatial professionals for the next decade. However, professional skillsets are too often measured by what tools are at his/her disposal.

As long as a professional remains connected with a school or workplace, they have access to their tools. But when they graduate or move on the tools can become inaccessible due to cost, licensing constraints, hardware dependencies and more.

These issues combine, making it difficult for a professional to reach his/her full potential. When leaving environments where proprietary software tools are readily available, it is all too easy for the new geoprofessional to feel inadequate. This sense of inadequacy ought to be unjustified, as a professional's skills should not be measured by whether or not they have access to particular software - rather their inherent skills must shine regardless of access to tools.

Open Source software helps remove these limitations and renews interest in professional development. Open licensing means they can take tools with them wherever they go and continue learning skills that cannot be taken away.

My talks on this topic describe how open source software in the geospatial realm is revolutionising careers by helping them build their own life-long toolkit.

Tyler Mitchell