With a centrally-located campus, an array of quality programmes and providing dedicated administrative support for its students, the Asia Pacific Management Institute (APMI) Kaplan has found the winning formula to becoming a choice education provider.

By Ruth Wong

With his clean-shaven, boyish looks, 27-year-old Travis Tay is a befitting candidate as the poster boy for lifelong learning. Having just completed his 10-month Diploma in Financial Management with APMI Kaplan in April this year, Travis is back at the Institute pursuing an accounting degree.

Th degree program, accredited by the University of Bedfordshire, UK, will keep him busy juggling the demands of a full-time job and part-time studies for 18 months.

After graduating from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Travis signed a 10-year contract with the Republic of Singapore Navy. With the contract due to end next year, the worrying prospect of being jobless motivated him to make plans for another career. Like many Singaporeans, Travis decided to upgrade his paper qualifications to widen his career options.

Exceptional service
With so many private institutions offering similar courses however, what drew him eventually to APMI Kaplan?

“I had checked out a few private institutions,” says Travis. He researched by trawling online forums and speaking to acquaintances who had studied at APMI Kaplan. The positive feedback he received shaped his good impression of the Institute.

“A similar programme at some other private institutes may take about two years to complete but here, I can finish in less than a year,” he says, pointing out that course duration has been one critical consideration. “Moreover, the staff were quick to answer my queries when I was enquiring about the course; they always try to reply within a day,” commends Travis.

On this note, he felt that efficient administrative support is especially important for working adults like him. He related an unpleasant incident with another private institute where he wasn’t informed about the postponement of a class - it caused him to waste a precious day’s leave.

“Even after I’ve started my course here, the staff are very prompt in updating students about changes,” he highlights, obviously impressed with the administrative support that he has been receiving from the school. The Institute’s Programme Management team are required by the institute to reply to students’ queries within 24 hours.

A quality education provider
Established in 1989, APMI is a regional provider of management education and quality lifelong learning programmes and services. APMI was one of the first private institutions to be awarded the prestigious Singapore Quality Class (SQC) for Private Education Organisations. In 2004, it achieved CaseTrust for Education certification as an endorsement of its quality student welfare and protection.

Cementing its reputation in 2005, APMI became a member of The Kaplan Inc., a global leader specialising in lifelong education with more than a million students around the world in over 600 locations.

The 60,000 square feet city campus boosts 31 classrooms, computer labs, a student lounge, a well-stocked library and a full service café. The superb location and comprehensive facilities serve as a strong draw to many potential students.

Goh Wee Beng, 33, who recently received his Diploma in Logistics Management in October this year, lists the factors that made APMI Kaplan stand out as a clear choice. He says, “The location, study environment, duration of the part-time courses, schedule for the night class and the reasonable course fees are the reasons for me in choosing Kaplan.” He was recommended the diploma program by a friend.

Like Travis, Wee Beng had graduated from ITE and is currently with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as a Logistics Supervisor. Incidentally, a few of his course mates were also from the SAF.

He rightly believes that advancing his education would help him advance in his career and provide a means to getting better pay.

“However, the most important reason for me is to be able to gain greater knowledge so that I can perform better in my current job,” Wee Beng explains. “Even if I leave the SAF in the future, with this diploma, I can find jobs outside,” he adds.

Enriching experience
Beyond the benefits that higher educational qualifications can bring to their respective careers, Travis and Wee Beng also appreciate the real life experiences and practical knowledge shared by the lecturers at APMI Kaplan.

“The lecturers are professionals in the subject fields that they teach. Some of them are working in the industry, others are their own bosses; they have real-life experiences and they share their knowledge and insights generously with us,” says Travis.

Just like the prompt service from the administrative team, the lecturers had been quick in getting back to his emails. “The Institute requires our lecturers to reply within three working days,” he explains.

For both Travis and Wee Beng, interacting with their course mates also added a new dimension and enriched their learning experience.

“My course mates are all working adults. We come from different backgrounds and we help one another throughout the course. We are also open to sharing our work experience even with those who don’t have a logistics background,” says Wee Beng.

Similarly, Travis has developed strong networks with his course mates. He says, “I’ve met many people from different industries and made many friends here. Besides seeing one another during class, we would sometimes organise gatherings.”

He credits the relatively small class size (less than 30 people for his diploma course, and about 40 for his degree programme) for allowing them greater opportunities to interact with one another and with the lecturers, hence making the learning journey a more meaningful one.

Going forward, Wee Beng is not about to stay content with his diploma. He intends to eventually enrol for a degree programme in Logistics Management. For Travis, he hopes that his qualifications will equip him for a new career in the banking sector.

Surely, with the quality education provided by APMI Kaplan, Wee Beng and Travis stand more than poised to take the next step in their careers.

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