The University of Hawaii Maui College in connection with Kauai Community College and Hawaii Community College plan to target the GIS industry.  In addition to developing a GIS certificate program, the university/colleges have made plans to partner with key employers such as U.S. Geologic Survey and Esri.

The other is Stark State College that will cover curriculum development for new associate degrees and certificates related to the emerging oil and gas industry.  It will also go towards creating and supplying training labs for computers, geographic information systems (GIS), and geology.

This grant will add a big boost for these two programs, and there is sure to be more benefits for other GIS programs at the nearly 300 recipient schools.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced $500 million in grants to community colleges and universities around the country for the development and expansion of innovative training programs. The grants are part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training initiative, which promotes skills development and employment opportunities in fields such as advanced manufacturing, transportation and health care, as well as science, technology, engineering and math careers through partnerships between training providers and local employers. The U.S. Department of Labor is implementing and administering the program in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education.

Read more from the Department of Labor’s press release…
Grantee Summary PDF

Related Info:

Maps of grant totals by state for round one, and combined totals from round one and round two.

Stark State to tap grant for shale-related training

Below are the course descriptions for the two new courses:

GIS 110
INTRODUCTION TO GIS (5)
Introduction to the principles of geographic information systems: data sources, data models, capturing and manipulating GIS data, geography concepts, and spatial data. Hands-on practice with GIS software. Prerequisite: MATH 098, must have computer skills (email, file structure, windows).

GIS 250
GIS AND REMOTE SENSING W/ LAB (5)
Application of geographic information systems (GIS) and techniques of remote sensing in natural resource management, including area determination, scale, height measurement, and forest analysis. Detailed cases are studied. Prerequisite: GIS 110, ENGL 099, MATH 099 or instructor permission.

Read more from the news release: GIS classes offered at Morton education center

Centralia College is the oldest continuously operating community college in the state of Washington. The college was founded in 1925 and has a rich heritage of professional, technical, transfer, and basic skills programs serving the community.

Centralia College East
701 Airport Way
P.O. Box 147
Morton, WA 98356
(360) 496-5022

You can find a great overview of the certification and its benefits by watching this training seminar.  You can also check out each area below:

Enterprise
Enterprise Administration
Associate
Enterprise Geodatabase Management
Associate
Professional
Enterprise System Design
Associate
Professional

If you are a bit leery about taking the exam, Esri provides a refresher course to prepare for the exam.  These courses do not teach specifically to the exam, but they cover keys areas.  The courses are instructor-led for in-person or on-line.

Esri Certification Exam Prep Courses

Also find a great inside scoop from the writer of the prep course in Training Spotlight: ArcGIS Desktop Professional Certification.

So now that Python has been proven as a great tool, who do you begin.  Sure you can start with www.python.org but the is so much information is on the site you are not sure where to start.  Well, there is a endless source for finding code samples.  Search the ArcGIS Help Library to find the tool you would like to use.  Then scroll to near the bottom and there is a code sample to use in the Python Window or as a stand-alone script for that particular tool.

Another  method that saves a lot of time is to use ModelBuilder and create a model for the desired process.  Once you get the model working then export the model as a script (Model > Export > Script).  The output of this export provides a great starting point for expanding on the python code to get the task accomplished.

Here is a quick example from the Buffer tool help document:

Python Widnow Script
import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/data"
arcpy.Buffer_analysis("roads", "C:/output/majorrdsBuffered" "100 Feet", "FULL", "ROUND", "LIST", "Distance")

Stand-alone Script
# Name: Buffer.py
# Description: Find areas of suitable vegetation which exclude areas heavily impacted by major roads
# Author: ESRI

# import system modules
import arcpy
from arcpy import env

# Set environment settings
env.workspace = “C:/data/Habitat_Analysis.gdb”

# Select suitable vegetation patches from all vegetation
veg = “vegtype”
suitableVeg = “C:/output/Output.gdb/suitable_vegetation”
whereClause = “HABITAT = 1″
arcpy.Select_analysis(veg, suitableVeg, whereClause)

# Buffer areas of impact around major roads
roads = “majorrds”
roadsBuffer = “C:/output/Output.gdb/buffer_output”
distanceField = “Distance”
sideType = “FULL”
endType = “ROUND”
dissolveType = “LIST”
dissolveField = “Distance”
arcpy.Buffer_analysis(roads, roadsBuffer, distanceField, sideType, endType, dissolveType, dissolveField)

# Erase areas of impact around major roads from the suitable vegetation patches
eraseOutput = “C:/output/Output.gdb/suitable_vegetation_minus_roads”
xyTol = “1 Meters”
arcpy.Erase_analysis(suitableVeg, roadsBuffer, eraseOutput, xyTol)

So what is the Touch Inspect™ ?

Touch Inspect™ is an application for Windows Mobile, XP, Vista and Windows 7 devices, which provides enterprise class, media-enhanced, geospatially intelligent, asset-centric field data collection and worker decision support.

What can the Touch Inspect™ do?

Touch Inspect™ was designed to collect a wide variety of data types in the field using capabilities far beyond simple forms and barcode scans. The application uses GPS to allow workers to map the location of individual assets as well as search for them by proximity to the user. Using an array of multimedia features, users can gather more detailed visual information about assets as well. For example, a utility inspector could take a picture of a metal power pole then use the drawing tool to circle rust spots in the picture and save it to the inspection history. Inspectors who see the pole at some later date could then call up the picture for comparison, to see if the rust spots have grown, and decide whether or not to recommend maintenance. Mobile epiphany refers to this as one part of field decision support.

The new application also solves data problems associated with other solutions. Data loss is prevented by storing information on the handheld device itself, then transmitting it to the database when a connection is available. Even if the connection is lost, the data is safely stored on the device for later transmission. Another noteworthy feature is the ability to transmit data in real time and auto-generate reports in moments.

What makes the Touch Inspect™ different ?

Unlike other applications which require server setup time and cost (not to mention that everyone doesn’t have their own IT department), Touch Inspect™ allows their system to be purchased monthly (Software as a Subscription) or hosted quarterly, meaning the users do not have to even think about server technology. That approach makes functionality that was traditionally only available to the largest of corporations now readily available to small and medium size business users. It is designed to be configured in hours and start running almost immediately. And for the larger enterprises that insist on housing their own servers, Mobile Epiphany makes the technology available in that format as well.

More News on Touch Inspect

• Touch Inspect to Certify Intermec Handheld Computers as Authorized Hardware
• Biologists in Argentina to Study Penguins Using Touch Inspect
• Touch Inspect to Certify Psion Teklogix as Authorized Hardware
• Panasonic Toughbook Certified as Authorized Hardware for Touch Inspect
• Mobile Epiphany Launches First-of-its-Kind Geospatially Intelligent Inspection Application

In an effort to help boost the available positions, you can post as many jobs as you would like for free during the month of February 2010.  Simply use the discount code: <FreeFeb10>.

Also take the time to visit and follow the @GISJobs4U twitter account.  Get the latest GIS jobs sent to your Twitter account.

Here are some of the latest GIS jobs available through the job board.

In ArcMap there is the option to store relative paths for the data layers you add to your map.  This same feature is available in ArcGIS Explorer.  A few quick steps will put you on your way out the door with no worries for your presentation data.

1. Click the Office Button and select Map Properties

2. Under Data Access check the Store relative paths option

3. Save your presentation

If you found this tip helpful, try these other ArcGIS Explorer tips:

ArcGIS Explorer – Adding Slides

ArcGIS Explorer – Adding Data

ArcGIS Explorer – Change Color Scheme

This example uses ArcGIS Explorer 900.  If you don’t have it, download ArcGIS Explorer 900 for free today!

1. Create slide in Microsoft PowerPoint

2. Save slide as a Portable Graphics Network Format (*.png)

3.  Choose either current slide or every slide

4. Add content -> Image Overlays…

This example uses ArcGIS Explorer 900.  If you don’t have it, download ArcGIS Explorer 900 for free today!

Data that can be added in includes: ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Layers, Map Content Files, KML Files, GIS Services, Shapefiles, Raster Data, Geodatabase Data, Text Files, GPS Data Files, and Image Overlays.

Each of these data elements can be added directly from the Add Content button on the Home Menu ribbon.  By clicking the Add Content button, a menu like the one on the right will show and you can choose your data type.  Follow the specific directions provided and the data will be added into the Contents Window.  The data will be shown with various icons to indicate the data type.

One type of data that can be added in that will preserve the symbology is ArcGIS Layers and ArcGIS Layer Packages.  The symbology that is create in ArcMap can be shown in ArcGIS Explorer.  Since explorer has limited symbology, this helps take visualization to the next level.  The difference between ArcGIS Layers and  ArcGIS Layer Packages is that the packages area created so that both the data and symbology can be easily move from one computer to another computer in one file package.  The Layers can be used, but the data must reside on the some computer.

To create a layer package:

1. Right click the desired layer from the table of contents.

2. Click Create Layer Package…

3. Designate where to save the file.

4. A conformation of completion will pop up in an alert.

You can then use or send the file however you would like.

This example uses ArcGIS Explorer 900.  If you don’t have it, download ArcGIS Explorer 900 for free today!

1. Click the Explorer Button (Office Button).

2. Click ArcGIS Explorer Options.

3. Under the Common tab, choose your desired color scheme.

Blue Color Scheme

Black Color Scheme

This example uses ArcGIS Explorer 900.  If you don’t have it, download ArcGIS Explorer 900 for free today!