Spa Business issue 2 2012 - Leisure Opportunities

One UK degree programme that does
strive to achieve the best of both worlds is
the course in international spa management
at the University of Derby Buxton – the first
of its kind in the UK, if not the world, when
it was launched in 2001 (sb05/4 p60). The
programme currently has an intake of 60
students a year, who can choose to complete
either a two-year foundation degree or
a three-year bachelor’s degree. According to
course leader Isobel Stockdale, around half
go on to the final year, and around 20 per
cent of all students come from overseas.
The course at Derby certainly appears to
be equally split between business and vocational
training, with modules ranging from
strategic management and international spa
design and development to massage techniques
and balanced nutrition and spa
cuisine. And when it comes to performing
treatments, students are expected to
reach a commercial level of competency by
the end of year one. But why do they need
these skills if they’re not planning on becoming
therapists? “Spa managers sometimes
have hands-on responsibilities, and [therapy
training] enables them to understand
and develop the staff they’re managing,” says
Stockdale firmly. “It helps them to under-
stand client care and the importance of
touch during treatment, and enables them
to trade-test staff effectively.”
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
What really sets Derby apart is its on-site,
commercial spa – supplied by Elemis, Dermalogica
and Dalesuana – which is wholly
operated by the students. Every student is
required to do at least one six-hour shift in
the spa each week, in addition to any external
work placements, and over the course of
the programme they have the opportunity
to take on a variety of roles, from receptionist,
attendant and therapist through to
marketing manager, HR manager, financial
manager and assistant spa manager. The spa
manager – a recent graduate of the university’s
masters programme in international
spa management – and two trainers are the
only paid professionals.
The spa not only gives the students plenty
of hands-on experience, says Stockdale, but
also puts all the business and management
knowledge they’re assimilating into context.
“A lot of our assessments are designed
around real case studies or activities in the
spa, rather than something from a textbook,”
she says. “It’s very much experiential learn-
Derby university seems to have got the mix
between business and practical skills right.
It enrols around 60 students a year and many
have been employed by top spas worldwide
ing – they learn by doing and reflecting, then
putting it into practice again.”
Jane Crebbin-Bailey, partner of international
spa consultants HCB Associates and a
visiting lecturer at Derby, agrees. “It’s all very
well [teaching management theory], but to
really understand how to manage therapists
you need to actually do it,” she says. “I think
that’s the key to success for spa management
training courses – they have to have a spa.”
The end result, says Stockdale, is graduates
who are ready and able to work. Many
have subsequently been employed by leading
companies – including global players
such as Danubius, Mandarin Oriental, Sofitel
and Hilton – and frequently rise to spa
manager roles, albeit after an initial stint as
a therapist or supervisor. Stockdale would
like to see employers provide clearer career
paths for her students, however, believing
that most would feel happier about starting
at the bottom if they were assured of a
quicker progression up the ranks.
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