Moratuwa fashions product development
The Moratuwa University’s eight week Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) training course, to support the growth of
entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka’s apparel and creative industries which
commenced recently has had a good response, Fashion Design Degree Course
Director Dr Nirmali de Silva said.
She said the companies who had sent their personnel for training
included Hirdramanis, MAS Intimates, Bodyline, Sanchia and those who
wished to establish new businesses.
Fashion designing |
Among the Sri Lankan companies that delivered case studies was “Siddhalepa”,
while Hatton National Bank did a presentation on SME Development.
Delegates are expected to produce a business report that explores new
business models and evaluate the challenges and conditions that are
critical to sustainability and survival.
The evaluation has to be in the context of a new start up business or
an existing business unit that needs to become proactive and influence
change within an organisation.
The unit is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and
group tutorials. Relevant fashion industry case studies are being used
in seminars to enable the students to demonstrate understanding of
contemporary issues.
Two leading academics from the London College of Fashion (LCF) Dr
Lynne Hammond and Dr Julia Wolny travelled to Colombo to launch the
course.
Hammond, has been the Manager of International Educational
Consultancy Office (IECO) at London College of Fashion since May 2008.
Her,expertise ranges from training and business development for the
fashion industries, collaborative management strategies, international
project management, business strategies and entrepreneurship management.
Wolny, is the Fashion Business Resource Studio Director at LCF.
Alongside working on projects within the fashion industry, she has been
a senior lecturer in marketing at LCF for the last seven years, engaged
in high profile agendas of the fashion industry, including new media
technologies, mass customization, creativity and innovation.
Hammond, said the “Face Block” would be followed by an online text
and chat session with the students.
“We have set up a Wiki where all of the learning handouts and
resources have been uploaded. This will encourage student centred
learning and make distant learning more interactive and collaborative.
It would also improve university inter department cooperation and
support knowledge sharing between UK and SL apparel and creative
markets. All the students will have access to this online repository
from work or home.
The CPD unit, has been developed as part of the policy dialogue for
enterprise education in Sri Lanka, between the Moratuwa University and
LCF, which was affiliated to the University of Arts, London. It focuses
on three key elements, namely the founding of a new fashion business,
development stages of a fledgling business and how to foster
professional management within a maturing small fashion business, she
said.
De Silva said the British Council which was funding the course, had
provided 3000 sterling pounds worth of books.
“The British Council is currently supporting Sri Lankan universities
to develop their Enterprise Education and promote Graduate
Entrepreneurship through education partnerships with leading
entrepreneurial universities in the UK. These partnerships are funded by
the UK Prime Minister’s Initiative for International Education.
“The courses topics include “Business Environment and Entrepreneurs”,
“Marketing your Apparel Business”, “Understanding Your Customer”,
“Business Modelling” “Pitching and Presenting Business Ideas and
Concepts”, “Case Study Analysis of Successful Brands” and “Branding
Concepts and Strategies.”
Hammond said that upon successful completion of the CPD unit,
participants would be able to evaluate new business opportunities and
assess its viability and apply professional planning, management skills
and knowledge needed for a new business; able to communicate business
strategy and operations to stakeholders through verbal or written
communications; identify the needs of the internal and external team
required for a micro or small business and appraise practice and skills
to project their future within the industry. “Initially, the
entrepreneurs have to critically evaluate themselves and the
opportunities available before launching a new business.
Once a micro business has started the first two to three years are
crucial to long term success.
Therefore these stages of development must be handled professionally
and with strategy in mind.”
Small business leaders are dealing with a multitude of challenges to
keep their businesses afloat as the economy turns. The aim of producing
a business report was to develop intellectual competences to analyze and
solve emerging problems as part of the start up phase and beyond”, she
said. “It is an important part of the explorative process of start-ups
and enterprise managers. It is important to understand the key
challenges; opportunities and barriers facing small businesses and new
business units. |