Episode 278 - Shelby Sharpe

Episode 278 - Shelby Sharpe

From The Geoholics by thegeoholics

May 1, 2026 · 1h 23m · Episode 337

About this episode

Shelby Sharpe discusses the intersection of education and the geospatial workforce, emphasizing the need for problem-solving skills over traditional training methods.

This week, we sit down with Shelby Sharpe, an instructional designer and PhD candidate who’s right in the middle of where education meets the real-world geospatial workforce. And let’s just say…she brings some perspective. We dig into the so-called “workforce shortage” and flip the script...it’s not just about talent, it’s about accessibility, awareness, and how we’re actually training people. Schools are teaching tools…industry needs problem-solvers. Big difference. Shelby also drops some serious insight on how adults really learn...especially busy professionals, field crews, and PMs. Hint: it’s not sitting through long trainings. It’s solving real problems, in real time, with context that actually matters. We also get into her journey from practicing geospatial to teaching it, what makes a great technical expert to collaborate with, and how we can better connect education and industry moving forward. If you care about the future of surveying, geospatial, and the next generation coming into it…this one’s worth your time. Music by Tom Petty!

People in this episode

Guest: Shelby Sharpe

Topics covered

  • geospatial workforce
  • education
  • workforce shortage
  • adult learning
  • problem-solving
  • training

Keywords

  • geospatial
  • education
  • workforce
  • training
  • adult learning
  • problem-solving
  • surveying

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