Qualification puts HR professionals on the road to success

The postgraduate diploma at Baptist University provides up-to-date information and networking opportunities Students enrol in the Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources Management (PgDHRM) at Baptist University for various reasons. Take Jessica Ng, who is graduating and plans to pursue a Master of Science in Strategic Human Resources Management at the same institution. With a bachelor's degree in Science and Communication, she found a job in the marketing department of a telecommunications company. From there, she moved to an Australian trading and manufacturing company, where she works in the HR department. She enrolled in the programme to fill in the gaps in her academic preparation as she hadn't studied HR management at university. 'The programme has equipped me with the knowledge of HR functions in a short period, and this can benefit me in my daily work. Apart from the course work and the lectures, we had the chance to attend the executive development programme. This enhanced our exposure and added value to the programme.' Barry Ip Chiu-pang has a bachelor's degree in Civil Care and Security. He is chief customs officer at the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, where he has 23 years of experience. He supervises a staff of 35. 'According to my department's policy, managers are encouraged to enrol in management courses in such areas as human resource management, management or public administration at local institutions,' Mr Ip said. 'I had applied to the External Management Training Sponsorship Scheme in April and it was approved.' Mr Ip chose the PgDHRM at Baptist University for several reasons. 'It is highly regarded in the HR field in Hong Kong,' he said. 'All of the lectures are taught on Saturdays and Sundays, so it was easy for me to complete the course. There was a course on human resources in China, which I found very interesting and useful if you are working or planning to work in China. The professors all have many years of HR working experience and they have worked in different organisations.' As an added advantage, the course is recognised by professional bodies. 'All graduating students qualify for membership of the Institute of Human Resources Management and the Hong Kong People Management Association,' Mr Ip said. 'They can participate in the professional HR examination in China and they can earn a professional HRM qualification in both China and Hong Kong.' Mr Ip believed he had benefited from the programme in several ways. 'I learned performance management, staffing and training and employment relation skills in the course. It is most useful and I can put it into practice in my work.' As a department head of equity operations in the investment banking field, one of the main responsibilities that Ho Muni O had was people management, which embraced working closely with the HR department to ensure that staff capabilities matched the strategic direction of the company's global operations. 'That is why I applied to do this course,' she said. 'I expected that it would enhance my people management skills.' Ms Ho believed the course provided her with a good foundation in terms of fundamental HR knowledge. 'Through the group discussions and team projects we were able to be participant-observers of the working group, gaining an interesting and memorable experience during the process,' she said. 'The individual assignments also gave us an opportunity to apply the principles learned to a real-world working environment.' Catherine Lim graduated from the University of South Australia with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She has worked in the HR departments of various companies in industries such as information technology and banking. After completing the PgDHRM she changed jobs. 'In the interview I found that this qualification was a great help in my job search,' she said. 'My prospective employer knew about this course - and the MSc in Strategic HRM course director, Professor Chiu. I am now working at ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Asia Pacific), a German-based multinational, as HR associate, reporting to the chief HR officer of Asia-Pacific. 'My job duties cover compensation and benefits, recruitment, training and co-ordination with other offices in the Asia-Pacific region on HR matters,' she said. Ms Lim was the cohort's 'best student'. She benefited from the programme in various ways. 'Firstly, I was able to increase my HR knowledge and apply the knowledge in my work,' she said. 'Secondly, I was able to learn the latest HR information through attending the seminars. Thirdly, the courses increased my network and gave me the opportunity to share experiences with classmates from all walks of life.' Now that they have received their PgDHRMs, many of the graduating students have decided to continue on into the Master of Science in Strategic Human Resources Management (MScSHRM). 'With the momentum of the PgDHRM, I believe that I'm ready to take up a more challenging programme so I've decided to continue on into the MScSHRM,' Ms Ng said. 'I'm also interested in further developing my career in the human resources field. With the reputation of Baptist University and its international faculty, I believe I can benefit a lot from this programme.' Ms Ho has also decided to enrol in the MScSHRM. 'I want to strengthen my leadership skills,' she said. 'I would expect to learn from the classes and other senior classmates through sharing of experience and exchanging of views so as to benefit my real work-life situation.'