UWM News September 30, 2026 · 2 min read

Working in the GIS Sector: Regional M.A.R.K.E.T. Student Activity held at UWM

The meeting “GIS and the Labour Market – What Do Employers Expect from Graduates?”, was held on 25 September and was part of the 12th edition of the scientific conference “GIS in Science.”

UWM

The discussion was attended by representatives of the socio-economic environment: Dominika Szałkowska from ESRI Poland and Paweł Witkowski, Director of the Olsztyn Center for Shared IT Services. The Faculty of Geoengineering was represented by Dr. Tomasz Templin. The discussion was moderated by Prof. Marek Ogryzek.

The students attending the meeting had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with potential employers and learn what skills and competencies are essential for pursuing a career in the GIS sector. Dominika Szałkowska and Paweł Witkowski spoke about what they look for in prospective employees, where new opportunities and niches are emerging, and what educational paths students planning to pursue careers related to GIS should consider.

The participants asked many interesting questions and shared their concerns. Lecturers from academic institutions across Poland also took part in the discussion. In addition to providing students with subject-specific knowledge, their professional networks and experience enable them to act as a bridge between academia and the labour market.

Dominika Szałkowska, who works closely with universities and students, supporting GIS education, emphasised the importance of developing professional skills while still at university.

“The University of Warmia and Mazury has a strong position in the fields of GIS and geoinformatics. I am in contact with students from this university, including members of student research clubs, and I know that they are actively developing their skills during their studies. This is extremely important. Nowadays, employers do not necessarily focus on previous work experience, but rather on what students have done and achieved during their university studies”, said Dominika Szałkowska.

Paweł Witkowski encouraged young people to find their own unique path.

“It is important not to settle for being average and to have an engineer’s mindset — not to be afraid of breaking things, but also of building them. It is important for students to remain open, not only to employment, but above all to exploring different paths for personal and professional development. GIS is an interdisciplinary field, which means it offers opportunities to find your place in many different areas of the labour market,” added Paweł Witkowski.