FVC staff visit Iceland on educational exchange trip

Five Forth Valley College staff visited colleges, a university and a business accelerator in Iceland recently thanks to funding awarded through the Scottish Government’s Scottish Education Exchange Programme Test and Learn Project (SEEP).

Iceland was selected for the visit to explore and develop opportunities for collaboration following on from a visit to FVC by 30 further education professionals from Akureyri Comprehensive College in May last year.

Curriculum Managers from the Departments of Creative, Leisure and Digital Industries Linda Paterson (Creative Industries) and Paul Cunningham (with a focus on tourism, hospitality and event management), Andy Wake a Lecturer from the Department of Care, Sport, Business and Communities, Pauline Jackson FVC’s Development and Fundraising Manager from the Department of Apprenticeships, Skills and Commercial, and Laura Fraser, the College’s Skills Transition Centre Project Manager, visited Akureyri in the north of the country from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 February.

FVC was awarded a grant from the Scottish Government’s SEEP Test and Learn Project to deliver the project: ‘Curriculum Futures: International Collaboration for Scotland’s Prosperity -’ which also included a visit by FVC staff to China.

Running from October 2025 to March 2026, the project has aimed to build on previous collaboration and to enhance international education partnerships, focusing on curriculum innovation and global engagement.

The key objectives are to: facilitate the exchange of educational practices, to learn and observe, and where possible innovative teaching methods and curriculum designs implemented in VMA, with a focus on areas in curriculum design that includes:

1. Entrepreneurship
2. Digital Transformation and Innovation
3. Artificial Intelligence
4. Sustainability and Renewable Energy
5. Social Inclusion

As well as Akureyri Comprehensive College (VMA), the group visited: Norðurorka, Akureyri Energy Utility, discovering how geothermal water is used for heating buildings; MTR a school/college in Ólafsfjörður working on online programmes and focussing on AI; and visited the University of Akureyri, for discussions about cooperation between universities and vocational colleges and other issues.

The FVC staff also attended various fact finding meetings and seminars and delivered their own presentations in their fields of expertise. The visit helped to establish and strengthen relationships with VMA, and explored opportunities for future collaborations including: virtual projects and collaboration between students in Iceland and Scotland across a range of curriculum areas; student and staff exchanges; joint research projects; and shared online professional development programs.

Pauline Jackson, said: “The funding from the Scottish Government has facilitated collaboration opportunities with Icelandic partners and it was fantastic to have an opportunity to be part of the FVC delegation. We were made to feel very welcome and had inspiring visits to different organisations covering vocational, online, higher and entrepreneurial skills delivery. Through the visit we were also able to share information on our partnerships with Universities and our Modern Apprenticeship framework – both of which generated lots of interest. We are looking forward to building on this relationship and developing joint projects which benefit our learners and staff.”

Laura Fraser, said: “The visit to Akureyri was a hugely valuable experience and clearly demonstrated the benefits of international collaboration in further education. Seeing how our Icelandic partners are embracing innovation particularly in digital learning, the integration of new technologies into programme delivery, and approaches to sustainability was really exciting.

“The experience supports the continual development of Skills Transition Centre and the wider college curriculum. I especially enjoyed visiting Norðurorka, the Akureyri Energy Utility, and learning about the geothermal heating systems used to support local communities. This insight into sustainable practice was both impressive and inspiring. Strengthening these partnerships will create exciting opportunities for our students and staff, from shared learning projects to potential future exchange activity, helping ensure Forth Valley College remains connected to global developments in skills and education.”

Linda Paterson, said: “I returned from Iceland feeling very inspired and we were made very welcome everywhere we visited. The Icelandics are very much a problem solving nation with a “can do” attitude that we could learn a lot from. I was particularly impressed with some of the innovative approaches to distance learning. We have made a clear connection with the Art & Design Department at VMA and hope to have FVC students visit to take part in a joint project in the future.

Andy Wake, said: “It was a privilege to experience the inspiring approaches to young adult education in Akureyri and its outlying rural areas; with interesting cultural difference and enough commonality to bring home some applicable ideas. The staff of VMA, as well as University of Akureyri (UNAK) and the Menntaskólinn á Tröllaskaga (MTR), hosted us very warmly, determined to demonstrate their dedication to quality and innovative education for young people and young adults.

“At VMA I was struck by demand-driven responsive strategies for vocational learning and ASN provision, and I was really inspired by their ability to embrace change with positivity. At MTR I was really impressed by the team's innovative responses to declining rural populations, ensuring that young learners continue to experience quality education with a focus on technology. All in all I've found it a very worthwhile experience, from which I am looking forward to further collaboration including student experiences.”

Paul Cunningham, said: “The visit to VMA in Akureyri provided valuable insight into Iceland’s vocational education system and strengthened our professional connections with colleagues across the region. The relationships formed during the visit now create a strong foundation for future collaboration, including projects, exchanges and professional development opportunities for both our students and staff.”