In addition to organising training awards, the Hong Kong Management Association helps stimulate human resources development by offering a range of training and HR programmes among its annual lineup of 2,400 training schemes for about 61,000 participants. The HKMA courses compared favourably with similar courses in other higher institutions as they used 'in-trade practitioners' with relevant working and teaching experience as lecturers and offered networking opportunities, said HKMA senior marketing manager Glover Chan Wing-wah. The certificate and diploma programmes' quality is controlled through the association's human resources development management committee, which updates course content to keep up with industry trends. It also offers bachelor, master and doctoral degree programmes through partnership with overseas universities such as the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Australia. The strict quality control of these programmes ensured the qualifications were well-received by the industries, Mr Chan said. He said the most important benefit for HR professionals in taking the courses was the chance to network with other students with various industry backgrounds, local lecturers and overseas professors. Participants could also enhance their advancement prospects. Employers were encouraged to sponsor their employees in the courses because cultivating and training staff could help organisations 'yield outstanding business results'. 'One of the most common assertions of most organisations is that people are the most valuable asset. The more an organisation invests in its staff, the greater the chances of retaining, developing and advancing key staff,' he said. Certificate courses are tailored for industry newcomers with no or little prior experience in HR. Diploma courses target secondary school graduates with one to two years of related work experience. The degree courses are for 'mature professionals' with at least three years of work experience at the executive or supervisory level. A SAMPLE OF THE HR COURSES ON OFFER Certificate programmes in: Human resources management; Employment ordinance; Personnel administration and operations; Strategic human resource management; Training and development Professional diploma in human resource management (PDHR) Bachelor of business (business administration with specialisation in HRM): The programme is jointly organised by HKMA Professional Institute of Management and Education (PRIME) and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Master of management in HR management The programme is jointly organised by HKMA PRIME and Macquarie Graduate School of Management
