LYNNWOOD — Edmonds College has signed a memorandum of understanding with Coleg Cambria in North East Wales, United Kingdom, to collaborate on artificial intelligence (AI), digital innovation and workforce development, formalizing months of conversations between the two institutions.
The agreement, announced Thursday, opens the door to joint projects, shared resources and learner exchanges. Six students and two staff members from Coleg Cambria are scheduled to visit the Seattle area in 2027, with travel supported by Taith, the Welsh Government’s international learning exchange program. An Edmonds College group is expected to host Cambria visitors in spring for discussions centered on digital skills and the role of AI in teaching, learning and work.
The relationship began when Cambria representatives traveled to the Seattle region with ColegauCymru, the body representing further education colleges in Wales. The two sides identified overlapping priorities in preparing students for employment and have since held monthly meetings. An Edmonds delegation also spent a day at Cambria’s Wrexham campus.
“What started with conversations around digital engineering has developed into a really valuable relationship,” said Nigel Holloway, Coleg Cambria’s head of AI and digital innovation. “We have a lot in common, particularly in how we prepare learners for employment, but there are also differences in our approaches that we can learn from. AI, digital and engineering skills are our initial focus, but there is huge potential to explore other areas as the partnership develops.”
Edmonds College President Dr. Amit B. Singh said both colleges are “deeply rooted in our communities, focused on preparing students for a rapidly changing workforce, and eager to learn from partners who approach those challenges from a different context.”
He added that the partnership will give students and staff “a genuinely international perspective.”
Lisa Radcliffe, assistant principal for technical studies at Cambria’s Deeside campus, stressed strong regional links in engineering and advanced manufacturing and said exploring different approaches to robotics, automation and technical education “will be hugely valuable for our learners and staff.”
Coleg Cambria, formed in 2013 through the merger of Deeside College and Yale College in Wrexham, is one of the larger further education colleges in the United Kingdom. It serves roughly 6,000 full-time and 20,000 part-time students across campuses in Deeside, Wrexham, Llysfasi and Northop. The college has developed an AI Pledge emphasizing human oversight, ethical use and accessibility, along with practical training programs for businesses and internal projects aimed at integrating generative AI tools into teaching and administration.
Edmonds College is a public community and technical college on a 50-acre campus in Lynnwood, about 17 miles north of Seattle. Founded in 1967, it enrolls more than 10,000 students per quarter on average and offers a mix of associate degrees, certificates and several bachelor’s programs. Its highest-enrolled areas include computer science and engineering, and it has expanded offerings in recent years around artificial intelligence and data science.
The college operates an Edmonds Center for AI and Data Science with the stated goal of making AI and data science education more accessible and affordable. Programs include a foundational “AI for Everyone” course open to students across disciplines, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence focused on hands-on work with smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 concepts, an Information Technology Application Development bachelor’s degree, and a data analytics certificate. An AI Innovation Lab provides high-performance computing resources for student projects.
For Edmonds students, the partnership offers exposure to approaching AI integration, ethical frameworks and employer-aligned technical training. Shared resources and potential future exchanges or joint projects could give students additional international context on workforce preparation in engineering, automation and digital fields.
Both institutions operate in regions with significant advanced manufacturing and technology activity, and leaders on both sides have described the collaboration as a way to compare approaches and adapt useful practices. The memorandum does not yet specify particular degree pathways or shared curricula, but officials indicated the relationship could expand into apprenticeships and other technical areas over time.
Author: Mario Lotmore
