Engineering and IT study programmes earned the Investors’ Spotlight quality label

The Investors’ Spotlight quality labels, a project conducted for the fifth consecutive year, have been awarded to eight study programmes of engineering and IT. The winners include study programmes of five Lithuanian higher education institutions.

This year has been an exceptional year for the project. For the first time, reviews of study programmes were carried out in a slightly different manner than usual – live meetings were replaced with virtual meetings. Also, given the needs of foreign investors operating in the region, this year the reviewers paid attention not only to engineering but also to IT study programmes.

“In addition to engineering professions, this year, the Investors’ Spotlight also focused on the IT field. In this way, we wish to encourage school leavers to choose this field of studies, because there is already a shortage of qualified professionals in engineering and information technology for foreign investors in Lithuania. It is necessary to address the shortage of employees in demand. Otherwise, Lithuania’s competitive advantage will diminish,” Mantas Katinas, managing director of Invest Lithuania, said.

During the project, business representatives review the content and teaching methods of the study programmes. Consequently, company representatives share recommendations to higher education institutions regarding improvements to the programme plans to train students according to the labour market needs. Representatives from over 50 different foreign and Lithuanian capital companies operating in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda and Visaginas joined the review working groups. A total of nine study programmes were reviewed. Eight programmes offered by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, University of Applied Sciences in Vilnius, Kaunas University of Technology, University of Applied Engineering Sciences in Kaunas and Klaipėda University – earned the Investors’ Spotlight quality label.

“The review of study programmes allows businesses to have detailed information about the content of the programmes and obtain detailed comments from the representatives of universities, and to make recommendations as to how to improve the programmes. Participation in this initiative encourages enterprises to actively share their experience with the academic community, to engage in the development of the study programme and to ensure that the knowledge students obtain will provide the skills needed for the market,” Vytautas Janilionis, operations manager at TGW Lithuania, said.

Many of the higher education study programmes that have received this quality label have attracted greater interest from graduates. In recent years, the increase in the number of applicants rose by up to 77 per cent.

The following study programmes have been awarded the Investors’ Spotlight quality label in 2020:

University of Applied Sciences in Vilnius: Bachelor’s Degree programme in Electronics Engineering

Vilnius Gediminas Technical University: Bachelor’s Degree programme in Mechatronics and Robotics

Kaunas University of Technology:  Bachelor’s Degree programme in Automation and Control

Kaunas University of Technology: Bachelor’s Degree programme in Informatics

University of Applied Engineering Sciences in Kaunas: Bachelor’s Degree programme in Material Processing Engineering   

Klaipėda University: Bachelor’s Degree programme in Electrical Engineering

Klaipėda University: Bachelor’s Degree programme in Informatics Engineering

Klaipėda University: Bachelor’s Degree programme in Chemical Engineering

Public Institution Invest Lithuania, together with Investors Forum, is conducting the Investors’ Spotlight project to support cooperation between business and science and to promote study programmes relevant to foreign investors.