VETIP Project Final Conference in Birmingham September 19th, 2014

Jurate Jazgeviciene Head of Interational Relations and Project Management Department at

Vilnius College of Design

Vilnius College of Design (VCD)

• Located in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania; • The only higher education institution in Lithuania, with the dedicated focus on applied arts and design;• 650 students and 84 lecturers;• A small college that trains future great professionals.

Motivation to be Part of VETIP

•Foster e-commerce competencies of the future designers, students of VCD;

•Increase competences of academic staff in e-tools mastering;

•Renew and update the curriculum: make e-commerce an integral part of Business Management course. Formally embedding in the curriculum e-tools, e-resources and guidance materials by adapting the Subject Description document (constituent part of Study Programme Description document) accordingly;

•Centralizing student consultation (in cooperation with business/social partners and VCD academic staff) on e-business or enterprise establishment opportunities – elaborating activities of Career Center and strengthening its role in the relevant activities;

•Expansion of partnership with associations, hubs and business supporting developments.

VETIP implementation. Academic level

• Over 60 beneficiaries (Fashion Design and Interior Design students);• Training sessions and individual consultations on e-business start-up and mastering of VETIP project platform, conducted by the adequately trained VCD academic staff.• 5 workshops/seminars on e-business start-up and management, held by the representatives of business enterprises related to e-commerce.

VETIP implementation. Institutional level

• A new social and business partner network established through involvement in VETIP of representative of StartupHighway initiative (European start-up accelerator). It helped to efficiently expand the circle of business/social partners related to e-commerce activities; • Structuralized involvement of Career Center into student consultation on e-business establishing opportunities and promotion of VETIP to social partners and business associations as well as spreading the message about VETIP to VCD community (head of VCD Career center was part of VETIP team).

3 e-Business Start-ups Established (1)

1. Interior Design student Povilas Kulda: „My primary business idea was designing and selling unusual design accessory — an earphone holder, which was both: an accessory and functional design object. Furthermore, I proceeded designing and selling other accessories, having the functional designation and aesthetic folklore elements integrated. The project was so successful, that I decided to start selling them on Internet“.

2. Interior Design student at Vilnius College of Design, Asta Benderyte: „The main idea of my business is to make woman more feminine and womanlike. I design and sew unique skirts and dresses, because woman these days are more into trousers than into skirts or dresses“.

3 e-Business Start-ups Established (2)

3. Interior Design student Brigita Kasperaviciute: „My electronic commerce idea is to sell T-shirts and jumpers with printed graphics or photographs of Lithuanian architecture on it.

3 e-Business Start-ups Established (3)

The Difference VETIP Made

VCD started turning to „ A small college that trains future great design professionals with entrepreneurial approach and e-commerce skills“.

Thank you for Attention!