German campaign aims to get youngsters excited about mapping and surveying

The German Association for Geodesy (DVW) has launched a campaign to build young people’s awareness of the exciting career opportunities in the geospatial industry. The world of geoinformation is diverse, dynamic, challenging and – most importantly – indispensable in our rapidly changing world. While surveyors and other geospatial professionals are obviously aware of this fact, the realm of mapping and surveying remains abstract and unfamiliar to the average person. The German campaign is aimed at addressing this to bring about a radical transformation and attract much-needed young talent.

The initiative, undertaken by InteressenGemeinschaft Geodäsie (IGG) – the geospatial interest group formed by DVW together with German Association of Publicly Appointed Surveyors (BDVI) and the Association of German Surveyors (Deutscher Vermessungsingenieure/VDV) – takes the shape of a social media campaign on Facebook and Instagram, titled ‘Weltvermesserer’. Translated literally as ‘world surveyor’, the name is a play on the German word for idealist: ‘Weltverbesserer’ (literally, ‘world improver’). The primary objective of this admirable campaign – which will hopefully serve as an example for other countries to follow – is to ignite young people’s interest in the field of geodesy.

Excellent prospects in the geospatial industry

Through this endeavour, the German association hopes to introduce young people to the profession and inspire them to pursue careers in geodesy. Like many countries, Germany is currently struggling with a severe shortage of technical personnel, with the number of vacant positions significantly surpassing the number of applicants.

The IGG campaign’s creators, who deserve strong praise, emphasize that there are numerous pathways to becoming a geospatial professional. The message to young people is clear: this field offers excellent prospects for an exciting, diverse and fulfilling career. The shift from traditional surveying to emerging disciplines unveils a wide array of new employment opportunities. The engaging topics encompass land and soil, mobility, climate and environment, technology, and various industries, enabling individuals with a background in geomatics, geospatial engineering or geodesy to explore an abundance of possible directions.

(The text continues beneath the image)

The need for a joint campaign

The primary aim of the IGG campaign is to attract and recruit young talent to the field of geodesy. Reaching and capturing the attention of young people aged approximately 14-19 years old has always presented a significant challenge for universities and other organizations in the geospatial sector. The creators of this social media campaign recognized the need to consolidate all current online activities and campaigns conducted by the various associations, universities, networks and collaborative partners in order to optimally appeal to this target audience.

Watch the ‘Weltvermesserer’ campaign video for yourself, or learn more about the campaign by visiting the Facebook and Instagram pages: @Weltvermesserer. Further information is available on the Arbeitsplatz Erde website.