Introducing Sonwabile Duda from South Africa!

Where did you study? CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (CPUT)

 What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? You must study a national diploma in surveying or Batchelor of Science in Geomatics

 How did you get into surveying? By mistake. I was excluded from Uct Bsc construction studies due to academic poor performance send to technion in 2003 which was Cape Technikon now CPUT. When I got there construction studies was full not admitting new students, there were spaces at surveying that’s how I become a surveyor. I graduated in 2005 December.

How long have you been in the industry? Since 2004 doing my inservice training

 Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? Yes I’m a member of (SAGC) SOUTH AFRICAN GEOMATICS COUNCIL 

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? To contribute to the development of future Surveyors 

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Positive contributions in spreading Geospatial news, technology,  and opportunities for young people 

What are your hobbies? Sport: Soccer, rugby, cricket,  tennis (Knovak Djokovic fan), F1, road running, chess, table tennis etc

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? Rhino

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? Africa big five

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? In south Africa there still kids learning under trees, mudschool without any facilities but they have big dreams to be Surveyors let us help them realise their dreams

Introducing Brand Ambassador Gale Shea from Wisconsin, USA!

A bit about you: I am a UW-Madison Geography/GIS grad and GISP, and a Geospatial Sales Rep at the Midwest Trimble Dealer in the US – Seiler (a long-time sponsor.)

I have been in the industry since 1985, coming up through the ranks as GIS technology first came online and then became mainstream.

Any associations you’d like to mention? Yes, I’m part of https://www.gisci.org/ and WI Land information Association https://www.wlia.org/  

Why get involved as a Brand Ambassador for GKiS and what do you plan to do? Because our world critically needs GIS/Surveyors and the Geospatial Infrastructure they enable as underpinning almost everywhere!

My plan is to work under the umbrella of 4-H with local schools/families in my area.  Rural Sauk County, WI. 4-H has a Geospatial Program with National reach.  https://www.facebook.com/4hgisgps As a 4-H Mom, I raised my 3 kids as (4th generation) 4-Hers and it is a very logical fit in my area.

Anything else to add? As you know Seiler is already quite involved.  I plan to use your existing resources.

Meet Faical El Adlouni from Casablanca, Morrocco!

Where did you study? I have a specialised diploma in geomatics & surveying, and an academic course in real estate valuation accredited by the RICS, I am currently pursuing my Masters in Business Administration at HEC Liège (Belgium).

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? In Morocco practiced as a surveyor requires registration with the order of topographic surveyors engineers (ONIGT), and to do this, the condition is to have the diploma of state engineer in topography issued by the IAV Hassan II or its equivalent supported by the favorable result of an equivalence commission led by ONIGT.

How did you get into surveying? It is not by chance that I landed in surveying, because since young I have been passionate about geographical maps.

How long have you been in the industry? 18 YEARS

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? BIM Inspire, I’m the CEO of this startup.

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? I like the field of 3D reality capture, it is a field that brings together a lot of technological innovation such as the static and mobile 3D scanner as well as the drone. At home in Morocco, the children like technology and I personally like to share and inspire the children of my country.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? In my opinion, there are new roles that will be created in the years to come concerning the derivatives of the surveying professions, moreover this industry remains vital to the development of all countries, for the fields of infrastructure, industry, mining and construction.

So we need motivated and passionate young people to meet the craziest challenges.

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Visit schools and participate in events for young people in order to offer GKIS posters and to be able to inspire children to love the surveying and cartography professions.

Proposing a computer development hackathon related to the maps would also be interesting.

What are your hobbies? I am sporty and I like hiking and climbing mountains, I also like to travel and discover several countries.

In the near future, I would like to discover Tanzania, Peru and Iceland.

 If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? I see BIM INSPIRE as an orca, a cetacean that combines intelligence and strength

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? crime scene

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? Surveying is an industry where technological innovations are evolving exponentially, and applications are constantly diversifying because all disciplines can benefit from surveying and 3D reality capture.

Our children are thirsty for learning, put a little surveying in their breakfast menus.

Introducing John Perrott from Cardiff in Wales, UK!

Where did you study? University of South Wales / University of Kent

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? A good background in mathematics, engineering and construction have served me well!

How did you get into surveying? By accident. I ended up getting to work placements, one in the RAF working on Jaguar Fighter Jets and once with the local council surveying; it was love at first sight.

How long have you been in the industry? Around 17 years.

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? GCInstCES | MCIHT

 Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? I want to share the passion of surveying with the younger generations.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? They may just catch the survey bug too. We get to carry out important tasks, travel lots and my favourite bit; we get to work outdoors.

 What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Once COVID eases enough I will visit my local schools and hep spread the good word through some interesting practical activities and games

What are your hobbies? I enjoy spending time with my family, going on nice walks and day trips

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? It would have to be me!

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? Maybe some sort of coding / programming activities

 Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? Why not get the next generation of excel users coding in a fun “Coding a LEGO Maze” activity from the guys at Coding a LEGO Maze – ResearchParent.com

A HUGE welcome to Jay Sidhu from Perth, Western Australia! Let’s learn a bit more about him:

Where did you study? Curtin University, Perth Western Australia. I studied Bachelor of Surveying and Bachelor of Commerce double degree.

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? Surveying requires a Tertiary qualification from University or TAFE.

Curtin University offers two courses:

• A four year Bachelor of Surveying Degree will allow you to work in any field of surveying, and a 3 year Bachelor of Mining Technology (Mine Surveying) will allow you to be a mining and engineering surveyor. 

• An ATAR score of 70 is required for admission to the degree courses.

For entry to TAFE, you will need Year 11 maths at OLNA or NAPLAN 9 Band 8 at Certificate III level in Engineering and Mining Surveying. After that, you can then proceed through Cert IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma which will lead to a career in engineering and/or mining surveying.

To become a Licensed Surveyor, you will need a Bachelor of Surveying degree, followed by 2 years of experience in cadastral surveys, training, and assessments.

You can work as a survey technician on mine sites with a Diploma, but to become an Authorised Mine Surveyor, you will need to have an Advanced Diploma, 1 – 2 years on the job experience, a reference from a supervising surveyor and an interview with the Mines Registration Board.

How did you get into surveying? I got into surveying with the help of my mum who said that it would be a career with lots of job prospects and it was in demand, so I gave it a go and I have not looked back since. I love the surveying industry.

How long have you been in the industry? I have been working in the industry since I was a first year student in 2009. So I have been in the industry for 13 years and loving every moment of it.

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention?

Western Australian Institution of Surveyors  (Surveyors WA) – Link –https://www.surveyorswa.org.au/

Vision Surveys Consulting is a company that I am a Director/Co-owner of based in Perth, Western Australia. – Link –https://visionsc.com.au/

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? Getting the word out there for our beautiful profession is a must! Surveyors all have explorer blood through our veins, and we are all passionate of what we do and the new courses we chart.

Getting that all out there to kids and seeing a kids get involved and interested in what you do provides a great sense of satisfaction not only to yourself but to know that our profession will keep growing to bigger and better things as we advance into the future.

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? The number of surveyors here in Australia is declining and we really would like to keep the industry thriving for years to come. It is important for kids to know early who we are so that they can find out more as they go through school and have a profession in surveying or the broader geospatial industry on their list to work towards. I am yet to meet a surveyor who didn’t love his or her job. That really is a fantastic statement, and you know anyone who joins our cohort will love every minute of it.  

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? I will keep doing what I do at career fairs and get more contact out in social media encouraging parents to share stories about surveyors – who we are – what we do and all the exciting aspects we are involved in to increase interest within our future leaders.

What are your hobbies? In my free time I enjoy playing tennis and I practice Taekwondo (working my way towards my 4th Dan next year)

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? Would like a “cool vibe” sort of character – I like to play with names that are catchy – that’s how I came up with the name Fresh Prince of Surveys which definitely grabs people attention. So perhaps something funky like that. 😊

Cool and funky – that grabs attention and it sticks.

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? More informative videos from the GKiS crew and more videos from all the members to be shared globally.

Welcome to Ciaran Laverty from Northern Ireland, UK:

Where did you study? I studied in Ireland at Ulster University Jordanstown, Belfast. My degree was a BSc Construction Engineering and Management and I achieved a 2.1. I am always looking into new ways to learn and improve my knowledge base. As they say, every day you learn something new is a good day.

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? I believe there aren’t any black and white requirements. You do need to have a basic understanding and enjoy working outside. You can do further learning to help improve your knowledge and to contribute to professional registration with a chartership. 

How did you get into surveying? In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do even when I started my University degree. It was only when I started in the industry that I learned just how enjoyable it could be. You are constantly meeting new people and experiencing new locations so every day really is a different day. 

How long have you been in the industry? I graduated University in 2018 but I have been involved in the construction/surveying industry since 2016. It is a fast paced industry and my first day on site in 2016 feels like it was yesterday!

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? I am currently working towards CICES and RICS membership.

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? There aren’t enough people doing their best to promote surveying and the geospatial industry. When I seen GKiS I automatically knew I wanted to join as an ambassador and play my part in promoting the industry. When I was making the decision to choose a career path, I didn’t know much about the industry and I want to help change that to get younger people into surveying as early as possible. I also believe that we need to educate and attract more people to the industry to help with the on-going skills shortage. 

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? It’s important because we need to have future surveyors. I don’t believe that enough people are choosing surveying as a career path due to lack of knowledge and not being introduced to it. Surveyors and engineers will always be needed no matter how much the industry advances in terms of technology therefore it is vital that we are always attracting people to the industry. 

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? I plan on doing whatever I can do try and promote the surveying and geospatial industry. I plan on starting a YouTube channel for my business and use that platform along with my Instagram and Facebook to socially promote the industry. When COVID is no longer an issue, I want to organise with local schools both in Ireland and the UK where we operate to introduce the younger generation to the industry. 

What are your hobbies? I am really interested in drones for outdoor landscape photos and videos. I love playing golf and enjoy most other sports. 

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? A Matrice 300 RTK drone with a LiDAR sensor

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? A poster showing the power and level of detail that can be captured using drones and other survey methods. 

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? I think its very important for us all to work together in raising awareness and helping to Get Kids Into Surveying by sharing our experiences and stories with each other through social media platforms, blogs and even YouTube!

Say a big hello to Letwin Pondo, our latest Brand Ambassador from Zimbabwe, Africa!

Where did you study? Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe

What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? A level passes in Pure Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry

How did you get into surveying? I loved issues relating to land laws and policies, boundaries, land dermacation, cartography etc and Survey was the best way to go.

If you are not a surveyor, what do you do? Currently working to complete my studies at University (student).

How long have you been in the industry? 3 years

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? Yes: 

African Surveyors Connect

Zimbabwe Institute of Geomatics

YouthMappers MSU Chapter 

SEDS MSU Chapter

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? To assist in nurturing the young minds, catch them young and watch them grow within the profession as they’re the future of any profession. I believe in kids, they’re intelligent, brave and adventurous and strongly stand with the notion that if they be educated earlier and left to grow….the future is very bright. 

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? So that they have a wider range of options to consider from when they’re choosing careers. They need to be educated of what it is, how it works and why they need to be there.

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Educate the kids in various schools. Promote survey in every corner I can reach. Organize survey weekend camps for kids, quizzes, Workshops, debates, essay and speeches competitions, promote GKiS on social media and many more.

What are your hobbies?

Mapping

Researching

Playing with or nursing kids

Listening to music

Nature walks

Writing poems

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? Geospatial Kids

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? Ambassador handbooks, magazines, posters, t-shirts, stickers

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? Adults please let the young ones explore! They’re still young and brave to venture more and bring new ideas on the table. Survey is not an outdated profession, it’s still there and still advancing amazingly and it is in the hands of these that the future of this profession lies. Let’s motivate and encourage them together after all it’s our world together….

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Introducing Nicolette Beggache from Buckinghamshire, UK!

What do you do? I’m an HDS Technical Support Engineering & Training Specialist

How long have you been in the industry? I’ve been in a support role since 2014, but I have been working in the industry since 2000. 

Are you part of any associations or organisations you would like us to mention? I am a member CICES and a brand ambassador for Hexagon. I am also on the top 40 under 40 nominations for Geospatial Influential Individuals in 2018. I am now the main Technical specialist trainer for our Reality capture survey equipment within Leica Geosystems. 

Why do you want to be a GKiS Brand Ambassador? When I was growing up, the industry was always thriving on man-power in a male dominated workplace. My teacher told me that girls shouldn’t take technical drawings, because they could not understand 3D. I really wanted to prove him wrong, and excelled at 3D drawings and modelling, way above my peers. I now work with 3D pointclouds and survey as good as any other surveyor in the industry for laser-scanning. I really want to give children the positive reinforcement that they can achieve greatness in any industry, but even more so in industries that previously were not considered ‘normal environments, based on gender’. I also would like to help kids gain a better understanding of all the different opportunities that are available to them in this Geospatial era. 

Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? The future generation has to be shown how surveying is an integral part of our technological journey. They are the future of tech evolution and have to feel inspired to innovate. 

What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? Spread the word amongst children with STEM events and social media. 

What are your hobbies? I love photography, painting and reading, but also enjoy gardening. 

If you/your company had a GKiS character, what would it be? A cape wearing super-hero! We already have a green dragon on GKiS. 😊

What poster or resource would you like to see next from GKiS? I have noticed kids love games/apps on their devices. I know this is farfetched but an app based on the cartoon that you have in the GIS/ICES magazines – to give like a ‘story-line’ type scenario – would be great to get kids interacting and maybe something where you can use STEM activities to pass levels etc. A digital app resource would be good (unless one already exists for GKis and I just don’t know about it.) 

Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? We should focus on skills shortages to fill those gaps. After a discussion with some children from my daughter’s school – they are all researching their future jobs by popularity but are not realising that the jobs that are popular are the ones people with study for and there will be too many people applying for the same job – rather than focussing on the opposite spectrum. Also – children in year 8 and 9 are the ones that are choosing their ‘career paths’ by subjects, therefor inspiring at that age, is critical.