Certificate in Spa and Body Therapy

Kimberley Allen enjoyed learning about anatomy and physiology. Picture / Fotopress

By JANINE OGIER

The course

Manukau Institute of Technology's Certificate in Spa and Body Therapy is a full-time, one-year, level-four NZQA qualification to provide people with skills in health and beauty therapy.

Graduates can work in day spas, resort spas, cruise liners, beauty therapy clinics or as body therapists.

Students learn to perform treatments such as body brushing, exfoliation, mud wraps, seaweed and salt glow treatments, spa facials, manicures and pedicures, Swedish massages, lymphatic drainage massages, Indian head massages and electrical body treatments.

They are taught to recognise disharmonies or challenges within the body and incorporate the practice of spa and body therapies to restore clients' energy and wellbeing.

Students attend classes for two 17-week semesters at the Manukau campus.

They are in the classroom for 22 hours a week and are expected to do at least 10 hours of self-directed study.

They study eight subjects covering health and safety, the concept of spa and body therapy, spa administration, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, diet and health for body therapies, spa and body therapy treatments, body massages, and the practical application of spa therapies.

At first students practise their skills on fellow students, but then they perform treatments on members of the public, organised through MIT's School of Hair and Beauty, to get practical experience in the industry.

They have an opportunity for further work experience at the Polynesian Baths in Rotorua.

Students are assessed through written and practical assignments and exams.

Applicants need to have Sixth Form Certificate totalling 18 or less over four subjects, preferably including English and biology, or an NCEA equivalent. Mature students must be able to show some evidence of their ability to study at the required level.

The next course begins in February and applications for the 20 places are taken up until the starting date.

Applicants are interviewed and MIT is looking for people who enjoy giving and receiving treatments.

Fees for the course are about $3485, including GST, and students should allow around $1400 for a working kit.

What graduates think


Kimberley Allen, 19
Spa therapist
Mane Hair and Day Spa
Auckland
Graduated 2004

"I did the MIT beauty therapy certificate and this course was the next step for me.

"I was more interested in doing the body treatments and packages.

"We learnt the theory and went straight on to the practical. It was half and half pretty much.

"The way the course was taught and set out was really good. It all flowed really well. We did a client day once a week at MIT.

"Also a couple of us went to the Polynesian Spa in Rotorua and we worked on staff members.

"The course was really good as we learnt about the body and how it works - anatomy and physiology - and then putting that into practice and using treatments to work with different people's body types and different treatments for different people.

"I worked part-time through the year doing beauty therapy but I also did some body treatment and I was able to massage clients and do body exfoliations.

" So as I learnt things on the course I got to put them into practice at work as well."

What employers think


Margaret Arkwright
Managing director
Mane Hair and Day Spa
Auckland

"It's a great plus for us as a business to have a specialist course as not many of the beauty therapy courses cover much in the spa area.

"It usually means too that there is less training involved for us, and less time and less cost to us because you can go over things and show people your way and add more to it, rather than starting from scratch.

"A good spa therapist needs to be able to communicate well and build a rapport easily with people.

"They need to be dedicated, service-oriented and caring and nurturing.

"It's a growing industry with good job opportunities.

There are so many people out there who need these sorts of intensive and relaxation treatments done - people who work long hours and are not able to have time out for themselves."

The qualification

Certificate in Spa and Body Therapy
Manukau Institute of Technology
Phone: 0800 626 252
Starting pay: $11-$12 per hour