At Rung for Women, we are all about more women making more money. That’s why our initiative with Maryville University to create a Geospatial Analyst Training Program is a perfect job readiness program that will help women start earning a living wage.
In partnership with geospatial employers T-Kartor USA, Maxar and L3Harris, Rung for Women and Maryville University have developed a new Geospatial Analyst Training Program designed to offer the exact knowledge and skills employers are seeking in entry-level geospatial jobs. Upon completion of the course, employer partners have committed to interview women for open positions.
St. Louis will be the new home of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Western headquarters, scheduled to open in 2025. The geospatial industry supports more than 27,000 jobs across the St. Louis region. The Next NGA West headquarters will be home to over 3,000 employees and many geospatial contractors are moving businesses into the region as a result.
According to the National Science Foundation, women currently represent almost half of the overall workforce, yet they make up 35% of the technology workforce. When looking across all women employed in computer and information science occupations, 56% are White women, 5% are Latinx women, 7% are Black women and 32% are Asian women.
“At Rung, we are all about more women making more money. For generations, traditionally male-dominated industries have earned a higher wage than those that are female-dominated. By creating intentional pathways for women to enter into these good-paying jobs, along with the wrap-around support they need to succeed, our region is making a bold commitment to inclusive growth and opportunity for all.”
– Leslie gill, President of Rung for Women
“At Rung, we are all about more women making more money,” Leslie Gill, President of Rung for Women, said. “For generations, traditionally male-dominated industries have earned a higher wage than those that are female-dominated. By creating intentional pathways for women to enter into these good-paying jobs, along with the wrap-around support they need to succeed, our region is making a bold commitment to inclusive growth and opportunity for all.”
Maryville University took feedback from employers to develop a 3-month asynchronous online curriculum that offers adult learners the flexibility they need to complete the credential while also balancing competing demands.
“Maryville is uniquely suited to develop curriculum for this program,” said Dr. Mark Lombardi, president of Maryville University. “Through MaryvilleWORKS, we have created a platform for training programs that serve the needs of our region’s fastest-growing sectors while providing accessible and convenient learning opportunities for underserved students.”
“This is a fantastic program that will prepare women, particularly women of color for careers in geospatial technology. It also aligns perfectly with the GeoFutures Strategic Roadmap’s call to scale up talent and workforce development in the region.”
Andy Dearing, project lead for GeoFutures, an initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
“This is a fantastic program that will prepare women, particularly women of color for careers in geospatial technology. It also aligns perfectly with the GeoFutures Strategic Roadmap’s call to scale up talent and workforce development in the region,” said Andy Dearing, project lead for GeoFutures, an initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “Geospatial technology is becoming an increasingly important industry and job creator for St. Louis, and the partnership between Rung for Women and MaryvilleWORKS will help ensure that we have the trained workforce geospatial companies are looking for.”