ESRI Training and Education Center

Although all GIS does not revolve around ESRI software, ArcGIS holds a big portion of it.  When you open ArcMap for the first time, it is a bit overwhelming.  You wonder if you are ever going to be able to use all of the features and even more understand what everything does.  With all of this confusion, ESRI has provided an excellent place to gain training and understanding.

The site that ESRI has created is called ESRI Training and Education.  On this site you can find and register for courses, get recommended courses, look through GIS literature and conference proceedings, and so much more.

The first thing I would recommend is to create a free user account.  There are many uses for this account outside of training, but those are topics for another post.  To create an account:

1.  Click Login at the top right.
2. On the login page, click Create New Account at the bottom right.
3. Enter the requested information on the Create A New ESRI Global Account page and click Create My ESRI Global Account.

After you have created an account, you can login and begin browsing the available resources.  A great beginning link to learn more about what is offered is the First Time Visitors link (see graphic).

Under this link you will find the following information categories:

1.  What is offered…
a.  Types of Courses
b.  Training Seminars
c.  Books
d.  GIS Library
2.  How to get started…
a.  Course Catalog
b.  Course Recommendations
3.  Track Personal Training
a.  My Training
b.  Learning Pathways
4.  Virtual Campus Course Tutorial

Once you have reviewed this page, you are ready to expand your learning.  I am sure that a particular course style has jumped out to your liking may it be by video, virtual campus, or instructor-led class.  Also, I am sure that you are interested in all of the free courses you can find.  The training website makes it very easy to find those free or low priced courses.  Whether you pay for a course or just take free courses, some will provide you with certificates of completion.

These certificates will compile under your user name and can be accessed at any time.  There will also be a transcript as well.  This information will be important to keep up with as you can add it to you resume.  Additionally, the training can also be applied to the requirements for GIS Professional Certification.  For more information about the GISP Certification go the the GIS Certification Institute.

No matter what type of training you are looking for, the ESRI Training and Education website has provided an excellent source for you to expand your pathway for success.