Although she was already a seasoned human resource (HR) executive, Ms Lily Lee decided to pursue a Master of Human Resource Management at Kaplan Higher Education Institute in January last year because she knew her added knowledge would be beneficial to her company and its employees.

Ms Lee is the country head of HR for Sodexo Singapore, a leading French multinational company that provides integrated facilities, management services and food services to improve consumers' quality of life.

Her role as a strategic country HR lead and HR adviser requires a consultative approach, and she works in tandem with business owners and leaders to align people agendas to the business objectives.

"I need to be equipped and keep abreast of the latest HR practices, as well to develop further to hone my skills and further build on my HR expertise, in order to lead organisational change and transformation," she says.

Adapting to the times

According to Ms Lee, the scope of HR has to evolve and it has to reposition itself to be at the forefront of the business-planning process.

She says: "In today's globalisation and internationalisation, there is no doubt that organisations are becoming more diversified.

"They are trying to find multi- faceted ways to cope with the escalating changes and turbulence in their daily business operations.

"It is therefore imperative that as HR for Sodexo, in view of our business expansion plan, we need to be able to meet changing competitive business demands and have a competitive advantage over our competitors."

She believes that with her newly acquired knowledge and skills through the executive programme, she can help the company to reinvent and integrate new HR practices, policies, systems and processes.

She hopes this will enable the company to become more productive, effective, sustainable and applicable to meet its business vision.

"The programme is relevant to my role in the company, and the case studies and research required in this programme will enable me to value-add to the company and replicate the best practices," she says.

Flexible programme

The flexibility of the course has allowed Ms Lee to plan her studies amid busy work schedules.

The programme, awarded by Australia's Murdoch University, allows students to plan their study schedules at their own pace.

The 16-month part-time course consists of 14 units, and classes are conducted on weekday evenings and weekends.

Students also have Internet access to Murdoch University's online library and resources, and faculty visits.

The dean from Murdoch University is based in Singapore to oversee all academic aspects and ensure a high standard of academic delivery here.

Students will gain skills in HR planning, staffing, training and development, performance management and remuneration.

They will also complete a specialised unit that covers occupational health and safety, drugs and alcohol in the workplace and counselling.

This course is accredited by the Australian Human Resources Institute.

Graduates from the programme can seek individual accreditation with the Singapore Human Resource Institute (SHRI) to enhance their employability.