Blackpool and The Fylde College played host to a group of Norwegian students in a bid to attract more overseas learners onto its higher education courses.

Staff and students from the Glemmen Upper Secondary School were in town from 7-9 March to find out about specialist courses, life at Blackpool and The Fylde College and what Blackpool is like as a resort.

The BA (Hons) courses in Photography and Graphic Design enjoy an international reputation and it is these areas of study which are attractive to the Scandinavian visitors. Hands on taster sessions were arranged with current students on these courses, while separate provision has been made for a handful of students interested in the FD Game Design and Development.

Current Photography student Eilert Storen came to the UK from Norway and thinks Blackpool is a great place to study. Eilert acted as an as an ambassador for the College during the trip and gave his take on Blackpool in his native language. The group also met with other international students from Blackpool and The Fylde College over lunch to get an insiders’ perspective on studying here.

As well as being shown all the fantastic new facilities at the College’s newly developed University Centre, the Norwegian visitors were taken on a tour of Blackpool Town Centre, which has also received plenty of investment recently. Students who are seriously thinking about submitting an application to the College after their trip will be given the opportunity to show their portfolio to senior lecturers before they leave.

International Business Development and Recruitment Jeff Bowcock said:

“There’s plenty of information about the College available to overseas students such as prospectuses, but until they actually visit and get a feel for the College and courses, it’s difficult for them to make an informed decision. I’m really pleased that they are able to come over and see what Blackpool has to offer and we can look at a mutually beneficial collaboration between both institutions in the future.

“In Norway, students are funded to study overseas so our courses need to be really competitive to attract them. The fact that they have come this far speaks volumes for our reputation in Art and Design.”