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Work experience at Ordnance Survey

Join our Award Winning Geospatial Virtual Work Experience Programme - 10-14 July 2023

An opportunity not to be missed for students looking at opportunities in the Geospatial sector.

Over five days, learn and experience careers and beyond with Ordnance Survey, from data-capturing drones to using maps in apps.

Each day will include talks, interactive tasks and opportunities for students to learn from the experts. On the final day, students will be given practical advice on how to prepare for a career in Geospatial, and the pathways on offer.

This is the perfect enrichment opportunity for GCSE or A-Level Geography students, and will help towards meeting Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5 & 6!

 

Agenda

May be subject to change

Day 1

Introduces students to OS and the Geospatial Sector, setting the scene for the week ahead. Students will get the opportunity to experience the role of a Cartographic Designer whose role is to make sense of Geospatial data through visualisations and maps. Students will learn cartographic design principles and will get the chance to design a symbol for making maps accessible to everyone.

Day 2

The second day focuses on the role of the modern-day land surveyor and the use of cutting edge technologies such as drones to help us map faster and in greater detail than ever before. We’ll explore the role of Geospatial Scientists that are utilising satellites and artificial intelligence to support sustainable infrastructure development in developing nations. Students will have the opportunity to take part in an interactive task and use their developing Geospatial knowledge to plan a town development.

Day 3

This day looks at Geospatial careers in the areas of Geospatial Consultancy and Data Science and how we use Geospatial data to solve problems. Students will have the opportunity to engage with web and mobile developers that work on our OSMaps app, creating code that helps hikers and walkers navigate outdoors. The day will feature Geospatial Analysts showing how they bring together information to support emergency response planning.

Day 4

This day goes beyond the 9-5 to demonstrate the wide range of opportunities that are associated with a career in Geospatial and includes insight into: professional development, volunteering, chartership and entrepreneurship. Students will get the chance to hear from guest speakers from the Royal Geographical Society and innovative startups from OS’s incubator Geovation.

Day 5

On the final day, we’ll be looking at some of the emerging technologies and trends shaping the future of Geospatial and our planet. We'll wrap up the week by looking at the various routes into Geospatial careers and the support available.

What Students said about the last year’s virtual work experience

“It was very interesting as I have learned a lot of new things which have expanded my awareness of careers available to me after school.” 

“It made me more aware of what Geospatial has and what it uses like AI to increase knowledge on artificial sites. The sessions helped me with future careers and career interests.” 

“The sessions have educated me on careers that are available and have opened up my options for the future. I am quite interested in the Geospatial sector now that I have learned about the sector.” 

And what the Teachers said 

“The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the presentations and interactive activities and engaged really well. A few have already been to see me to tell me that’s it’s widened their view of careers, which is great!” 

“Thank you so much for the experience this week. It has been of such high quality and our students have been exposed to so many valuable experiences which they would otherwise not get the opportunity to. Overall, we are very grateful to have had out students take part in this fantastic opportunity! They have learnt a lot and certainly had their eyes open to such a wide range of careers in this sector.” 

“We enjoyed the work experience last week. The students definitely got a better understanding of the use of Ordnance Survey maps.”