Start of new Land Surveying Education in Skellefteå this fall

The University of Gävle has established a distance Land Surveying Education program at Campus Skellefteå with the aim of strengthening the supply of skills in northern Sweden. There is great interest in the program with many applicants, most of whom come from the northern parts of the country.

This fall, the University of Gävle will start a new bachelor's program in Land Surveying with a focus on real estate law and land use at a distance at Campus Skellefteå. The program has come about through a close collaboration between the University of Gävle and Skellefteå Universities Alliance (SUA). Teaching will take place remotely from Gävle and students are offered physical meetings to conduct laboratory work and meet the industry at Campus Skellefteå. The program is three years and leads to a bachelor's degree. In the second and third years, there are occasional meetings with laboratory sessions at the University of Gävle.

"There is a clear demand for surveyors in the region. For a long time, we have worked together with Skellefteå and local businesses to shape an education that both meets the needs of the labor market and offers students a quality study environment. We are very pleased that the collaboration has yielded results," says Jesper Paasch, Director of Education at the University of Gävle.

Important with local anchoring

The labor market needs of surveyors in northern Sweden are great. Together with Lantmäteriet, local businesses and Skellefteå municipality, the University of Gävle has therefore developed a model where the industry actively participates in the education - with, among other things, guest lectures, study visits and opportunities for summer jobs. The University of Gävle has been a crucial partner in the collaboration.

"For us, it is important that the students get a strong anchoring in the environment where they may work. The on-site meetings in Skellefteå play a major role in helping them get to know each other and the Skellefteå region", says Jesper Paasch.

Many applicants

Campus Skellefteå has long been a multicampus - a regional node where several education providers offer higher education. Skellefteå is actively investing in establishing itself as an attractive place to study and the new surveying program is an important part of the long-term development.

"We are building Campus Skellefteå as a multicampus together with several universities to offer more opportunities for higher education where people want to live and work," says Kenth Johansson, Education Strategist, Campus Skellefteå.

There has been great interest with many applicants, a significant number of them from northern Sweden.

"This is a very good example of how we, through collaboration, can break new ground and contribute to the supply of skills throughout the country, especially in an area where we have strong expertise", says Lars Bengtsson, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Gävle.