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BizBuzz Jamaican students earn U.S. graduate degree with international focus—and never leave the island.
With the College of Business Administration’s Master of Science in Human Resource Management (MSHRM) program now being offered in Jamaica, recent graduates such as Venton Brown (MSHRM ’08) and Colette Lyttle (MSHRM ’08) seized the opportunity to further their education and enhance their career potential in ways that fit easily into already hectic schedules. Brown deepens his skill set and broadens his career path. When first considering pursing a graduate business degree, Brown, community relations officer with the West Indies Alumina Company, followed a colleague’s recommendation and investigated the MSHRM program offered by Florida International University on the University College of the Caribbean campus in Kingston, Jamaica. “The MSHRM program presented the best curriculum—one that has expanded my knowledge base into other areas of human resources, including strategic management, workforce planning, risk management, and total rewards.” —Venton Brown (MSHRM ’08), community relations officer, West Indies Alumina Company “The MSHRM program presented the best curriculum—one that has expanded my knowledge base into other areas of human resources, including strategic management, workforce planning, risk management, and total rewards,” said Brown, who graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Already his employers recognize the value of his degree. “I’ve had discussions with our human resources director around enlarging my current role and taking on more cross-functional responsibilities,” he said.
From a broader perspective, Brown sees the availability of this program in Jamaica as a way to elevate the professional status of human resources personnel within locally based companies. “Armed with this advanced degree from the university, many of us working in this field can now better demonstrate to CEOs and CFOs how processes, changes, and best practices driven from the human resources department can deliver bottom-line benefits for the company as a whole,” he said. Lyttle appreciates the international scope of the program. “I believe that a master’s degree from an international university will open more doors for me in today’s global marketplace,” said Lyttle, senior human resource associate responsible for employee recruitment and reviews for the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Ltd. “I believe that a master’s degree from an international university will open more doors for me in today’s global marketplace.” —Colette Lyttle (MSHRM ’08), senior human resource associate, Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Ltd. “Because most of our professors came here from the Miami campus, the program combined local and international talent to create a uniquely cross-cultural experience,” she said. One course, High Performance Human Resources Management, heightened her awareness of the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. “Something as simple as a smile on your face or a pleasant tone in your voice helps turn every customer interaction into a positive experience,” she said. Lyttle also credits the MSHRM program with inspiring her to add training and motivational speaking to her career objectives. Leadership is clearly one of Lyttle’s established strengths: When her group’s chosen leader had to defer her studies because of a family emergency, Lyttle quickly and ably took on that role. She received a special Leadership Award for this effort. “I considered it an honor to liaise with my professors and team members, encouraging open communication among us,” she said. |
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