25 June 2025
Fife College’s groundbreaking Geospatial Foundation Skills course – the first of its kind to be delivered at further education level anywhere in the UK – has won the AGI Award for Geospatial Collaboration and Partnership at the prestigious national Association of Geographic Information (AGI) Awards.
Presented at the 2025 Annual GeoBusiness Show in London earlier this month, the award recognises the course’s pioneering approach to geospatial education and its major impact on developing critical skills for the future workforce. The course was designed with a vocational perspective and incorporated a significant degree of industry and public sector support from over 25 organisations.
Launched in early 2025, Fife College’s 18-week Geospatial Foundation Skills course introduces students to modern geo techniques; including geographic data quality capture methods, earth observation and Satellite technology and the basics in GIS operations – key tools used across vital industries such as renewable energy, transportation, healthcare, urban planning and environmental conservation.
The course has been shaped in collaboration with a network of industry partners, including the UK Space Agency, Location Data Scotland, and AGI Scotland, giving students direct access to real-world expertise and emerging career pathways in the fast-growing geospatial sector.
Tom Timms, Sales Director of Verisk, accepted the award on behalf of Fife College during a ceremony at the GeoBusiness Show at Excel London. In addition to receiving the award, Tom delivered a short speech reflecting the industry’s backing for the programme. Earlier this year, Tom also delivered a guest lecture to the class, offering valuable insights into the application of Verisk data in working practice.
Iain Hawker, Assistant Principal – Partnerships & Enterprise at Fife College, said:
“We are incredibly proud to have received this national recognition for a course that is truly breaking new ground. The Geospatial Foundation Skills course was developed in close collaboration with industry to address a real and growing need for geospatial expertise across multiple sectors.
“These skills are in growing demand across everything from climate action to infrastructure and digital mapping. As the first college in the UK to deliver a course like this, we’re proud to be leading the way and giving our students a head start in one of Scotland’s fastest-growing industries.
“None of this would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the curriculum design and delivery team, and I would like to express a special thanks to Stuart Miller and Lauren Miller.
“We’d also like to thank all our partners – including the UK Space Agency, Location Data Scotland, and AGI Scotland – whose support and expertise have been instrumental in making this course such a success.”
The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) Awards celebrate excellence across the geospatial community. Fife College’s win in the Geospatial Collaboration and Partnership category highlights the College’s leadership in innovative, future-focused education.
More information about Fife College’s Geospatial Foundation Skills course can be found here.
Photograph: (l to r) Stuart Miller, Geospatial Lead at Fife College, Lauren Miller, Lecturer – Pathway to Healthcare & Life Sciences at Fife College, Iain Hawker, Assistant Principal – Partnerships & Enterprise at Fife College and Gillian Dobry, Academic & Quality Manager – Computing & Technologies at Fife College are pictured with the AGI Award for Geospatial Collaboration and Partnership. (Credit: Richard Newton)