Kenth Johansson, education strategist, Campus Skellefteå.
The University of Gävle has launched a distance-learning land surveying program in Skellefteå. This decision was driven by strong demand for the programme, especially in northern Sweden, and the need to bolster skills in the region.
The program is a three-year bachelor's degree in land surveying, with a specific focus on property law and land use. Although teaching is delivered remotely from Gävle, it includes a number of on-site meetings for labs and networking with industry professionals.
– There is a clear demand for land surveyors in the region. We have worked for a long time together with Skellefteå to design a program that both meets the needs of the labour market and provides a high-quality study environment. We are very pleased that this collaboration has borne fruit, says Jesper Paasch, program director at the University of Gävle, in a press release.
–We are building a multi-campus together with several higher education institutions to offer more opportunities for higher education where people want to live and work, says Kenth Johansson, education strategist at Campus Skellefteå.
Lantmäteriet is one of the organisations actively collaborating with the programme.
The demand for land surveyors in northern Sweden is high. That is why Lantmäteriet, local businesses and Skellefteå municipality, together with the University of Gävle, have developed a model where the industry is actively involved in the programme - for example through guest lectures, study visits and summer jobs.
– This is a very good example of how we, through collaboration, can break new ground and contribute to skills supply across the country, especially in an area where we have strong expertise, says Lars Bengtsson, pro-vice-chancellor at the University of Gävle.