The School of Professional Education and Executive Development (SPEED) and the Hong Kong Community College (HKCC), operated under The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)’s College of Professional and Continuing Education, yesterday (11 October) held their fifth Joint Graduation Ceremony which sent forth 1,675 graduates.
Among the 403 SPEED graduates, 348 were from its top-up Bachelor’s degree programmes in Applied and Media Arts, Applied Sociology, Business (Finance/International Business), Housing Management, Marketing and Public Relations as well as Travel Industry Management. Another 55 graduates were presented with various awards, including Diploma in Human Resource Management, Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) Diploma in Human Resource Management, PCE Certificate in Information Technologies for E-Commerce, as well as various PCE qualifications awarded through the Credit Accumulation Mechanism (CAM). These include Bachelor of Arts/Science, Associate of Arts/Science, Diploma and Certificate.
Among the latest batch of graduates, 1,272 graduated from HKCC’s 15 Associate Degree programmes, namely, Applied Social Sciences, Arts, Beauty and Health Therapy, Bilingual Communication, Business, Accounting and Finance, Marketing, China Business, Design, Engineering, English for Business Communication, Health Studies, Information Technology, Science and Statistics and Computing for Business. The largest cohort of 735 graduates came from the Associate Degree Scheme in Business.
Addressing the graduates, Acting Director of SPEED Dr Jack Lo said, “Through our provision of high quality professional education programmes, SPEED has always been guiding learners along the path of lifelong learning. We offer students the ultimate solution of continuing education which will benefit them for a lifetime.
“Nurtured under our application-oriented programmes, many of SPEED’s students found their way to large local and multi-national corporations upon graduation.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Director of HKCC Dr Simon Leung remarked, “According to the latest graduate survey with a response rate of 84 per cent, over 72 per cent our responding graduates continue their degree studies either locally or overseas. More than one-third of those who pursue further studies are now studying in government-funded programmes offered by local universities.”
For those graduates who have entered the job market, 97 per cent found their first job within three months upon graduation and 59 per cent had two or more job offers.
Founded in 1999, SPEED provides lifelong learning opportunities, through the provision of quality programmes from sub-degree to master levels in different study modes. The current student enrolment is over 3,000. This year, SPEED offers 22 programmes leading to awards of PolyU SPEED or overseas universities. The PolyU SPEED award top-up degree programmes are Bachelor of Arts in Applied and Media Arts, Business (Finance/International Business), Housing Management, Marketing and Public Relations, Policing and Public Order and Travel Industry Management.
Established in 2001, HKCC is a leader in local associate degree education. Currently, it offers 26 programmes grouped under four main schemes and specialized subject programmes. The programmes offered include Arts, Accounting and Finance, Applied Social Sciences, Beauty and Health Therapy, Bilingual Communication, Business, Business Management, China Business, Design, Engineering, English for Business Communication, Health Studies, Hospitality Management, Human Resources Management, Information Systems and Knowledge Management, Information Technology, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Science, Social Policy and Administration, Statistics and Computing for Business, and Tourism and Recreation Management. This September, four new programmes are also introduced, including Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology and Culture, and Language and Culture.
******
