With the Land Titling project currently being pushed by the Jamaican government, there is a potentially higher demand for surveyors locally.

So predicts Clover deSouza, University of Technology (UTECH) lecturer who also notes that as soon as graduates of UTECH's Land Survey division - about 15 each year - leave the institution, they are snapped up by local companies. Currently 60 land surveyors are registered with the Land Surveyors Association of Jamaica.

If the mapping of sites and examination of land forms excited your interest, then perhaps you should consider a career in surveying.Local practitioners and trainers note that those who chose this field as a career will find job opportunities in a wide range of fields including;

. Surveying and Mapping Division of the National Land Agency
. National Environment and Planning Agency
. National Works Agency
. Professional Surveying Firms
. Geographic Information Systems Firms
. Urban Development Corporation
. Jamaica Bauxite Institute
. Bauxite Mining Companies

Types of Surveying include cadastral surveying, engineering surveying, geodetic surveying, geographic information systems, hydrographic surveying and GPS satellite surveying.

Clover deSouza notes that of the approximately 15 graduates that UTECH sends out each year - a number which include individuals already employed to local companies - all are employed as soon as they complete the programme.

Cadastral surveying is concerned with the legal determination of boundaries and areas of land properties. Under Land Titles laws, any conveyance or other instrument in writing effecting a division of land and delivered for registration must be accompanied by a Land Boundary plan.

Engineering Surveying involves the preparation of initial survey plans for detail design, setting out of critical points for construction and the measurement and monitoring of civil structure are types of works under this category.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) creates realistic simulations of the real world through technology to support a wide range of analytical applications.

GIS can be found at work in many sectors including utilities, land management, physical and economic planning, Natural resource management, public safety and defense.

Geodetic Surveying focuses on high precision national and international control networks of points marked and measured for mapping as well as for tectonic studies and shape of the earth determination.

The Global Positioning System GPS) is a world wide satellite based positioning system developed by the US Department of Defense (DOD) as a military system.

GPS has enormous potentials for the surveying and mapping industries. Now its civilian use far exceeds the military, as surveyors are among the main benefactors of the high tech approach to surveying details on the earth's surface.

Hydrographic surveying

Safe navigation and sub aqueous (below water) constructions require knowledge of the depth and topography of the seabed.

Other applications of hydrographic surveying include measurement of water current, location of rocks, bars, lights and buoys, determination of channel depth and preparation of charts.

To become a surveyor, you will need a Bachelor of Science in Surveying and Geographic Information Sciences (BSc. SGIS), a programme offered at the University of Technology.

To enter this programme, you will also need to secure five (5) CXC/GCE subjects passes including mathematics, English and three others from physics, geography, additional mathematics, technical drawing, elementary surveying, information technology & engineering science (Physics is strongly recommended) and two (2) CAPE (1 & 11) or two (2) GCE A' level subjects from among Physics, Mathematics (Pure & Applied), Geography, Technical Drawing.

Alternative qualifications include successful completion of UTECH pre-requisite Course of Study (PCS) with minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.3.

*Information Source: UTECH. For further information visit the Land Surveyors Association's website: http://www.lsaj.com