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Take A Class In Geospatial Technology

Waze, GoogleMaps, AllTrails. What these and other apps have in common is their use of geospatial technology, or geographic information systems (GIS), to visually display data. This booming technology is increasingly used for everything from public safety to city planning.

A certificate or degree in geospatial technology can boost your earning potential and make you more competitive in the job market. Whether your background is in programming or project management, geospatial technology courses can help you upgrade your skills. Foothill College is one of only three community colleges in the Bay Area to offer a geospatial technology program.

See Geospatial Technology Class Schedule

As the IT Manager for the City of Mountain View, Steve Rodriguez oversees all of the city’s hardware, servers and software. He took geospatial technology courses at the Foothill College Sunnyvale Center to better understand the technical side of public works and how it could be better integrated into an IT system.

“There’s an upswell of interest in GIS-related information and there isn’t quite that level of appreciation yet for how much the field is growing right now,” said Rodriguez. “With big data you can look at a wall of information and not get clarity from it. But I can show you a map and communicate to you in a much faster, visual method.”

Foothill College offers night and weekend classes to accommodate work schedules. The classes are helpful to anyone who wants to learn more about geospatial technology and its impact on all industries.

“There’s a need to get people retrained in what this technology means,” added Rodriguez.  “This is something anyone from front line to management can be a part of.  If you have a project management background, if you have a technical background there’s a place for you in this field.”