The Geospatial Business Hub Project, a cooperative initiative to be undertaken by IGISS and Central Piedmont Community College, will respond to three specific needs of the geospatial industry and the workers of North Carolina and Tennessee. One: The need to stop geospatial jobs going offshore leading to the loss of economic security and tax base in the United States. The geospatial industry is facing problems from outsourcing that sends jobs overseas. A lack of well-trained geospatial technicians in this country, especially in the areas of land management and utilities only exacerbates this problem. In addition, much of the geospatial information processed overseas is of a highly sensitive nature and creates a potential data security concern for the United States. Two: The need to retrain dislocated manufacturing workers in many areas of North Carolina and Tennessee in a technological field. The rapid transition of North Carolina and Tennessee to information-based economies has seen each state experiencing both the positive and negative effects of technological growth. While cities like Charlotte and Nashville have seen an increased need for educated and skilled high-tech workers, thousands of jobs have been lost by those who have little or no higher education and who have limited access to a college or can afford to earn a two or four year degree. Three: The need for skilled workers to meet the current and future job demands in areas like utilities and land records. The Department of Labor reports that the current global market for geospatial technologies is estimated to grow from $5 to $25 billion by 2005, creating great demand and projected shortage of skilled workers across all industries. Many of these jobs will require less than a two or four year degree and will provide new jobs for workers who have been downsized from non-technical positions. The Three Goals of the Project: One: Develop and deploy the GIS Training Project model to ensure sustainable instruction to meet the needs of the geospatial workforce. Two: Develop and deploy a program to create geospatial industry awareness and support for apprenticeship placements. Three: Build worker capacity in each region by delivering training to the unemployed and underemployed using the apprenticeship approach.