THE GEOSCIENCE ONLINE LEARNING INITIATIVE (GOLI): A PLATFORM FOR INCREASING WORKFORCE PREPAREDNESS AND SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT IN THE PROFESSION (Invited Presentation)

The American Geosciences Institute’s (AGI) 2017 data on geoscience departments’ enrollments and degrees indicate that programs continue to operate near or at full capacity. Since observing a sharp increase in 2014, enrollments have remained steady. The 2017 data on degrees conferred reflect healthy programs with increases across the board from the 2016 data.

Thinking qualitatively about our geoscience degree programs, training that is relevant to diverse career opportunities remains a priority for students and recent graduates. Furthermore, marketing their knowledge and transferable skills across a variety of geoscience positions is increasingly important as new technologies and economic pressures impact position requirements and responsibilities.

To address deficiencies regarding career preparedness and sustained professional development, AGI partnered with the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) to develop an online learning platform that delivers content and skills-training directly applicable to geoscience positions. This content does not replace traditional geoscience curriculum taught in degree programs, but rather expands on it. Experts from a wide range of geoscience disciplines collaborate with AGI and AIPG staff to produce content for the Geoscience Online Learning Initiative (GOLI), which offers a suite of live webinar events and on-demand courses. Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which track one’s progress in professional development, are offered for all GOLI material.

GOLI webinars and on-demand courses are widely available to students for free and at a reduced cost for obtaining CEUs. GOLI provides well-bounded career preparation for students, with content that increases the transparency of potential career paths in the geosciences. Programs such as GOLI are one type of resource that may positively impact student engagement in and completion of their degree programs to move forward into meaningful careers that best suit their skills and interests.