Good prospects in legitimately-run spa, wellness sector – Rosey
KUCHING: There are job opportunities in the spa and wellness sector in Malaysia.
Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus said according to Malaysian Association of Wellness and Spa (MAWSPA) statistics, the industry needs 3,000 local workers.
“The society is still sceptical of spas and massage (centres). It is not as what many people think. This service sector is one of the most needed due to our busy and hectic lifestyle nowadays. The demand is there,” she said at the first convocation ceremony of Rafflesia Academy in Yayasan Sarawak Auditorium yesterday.
Rosey hoped that the society would change their mindset about the spa and massage industry that had always been related to shady businesses.
“The statistics show that 3,000 local spa and wellness workers are needed to work at high- end hotels, resorts and professional outlets that are clean and legal throughout Malaysia,” she explained.
She also encouraged graduates to start their own business instead of just waiting to be employed, which would be a waste of time.
She said the government had prepared funding through agencies to help Bumiputera youths and those from lower income families in urban or rural areas to gain skills and obtain employment.
Rafflesia Academy is one of the selected private vendors to carry out training programmes to produce workforce for the spa, wellness and beauty industry, which needs semi- skilled and skilled local workers.
A total of 35 graduates of Rafflesia Academy completed their six-month free training course at the academy in Metrocity, Matang.
The academy offers two courses, namely ‘Aesthetic Service’ and ‘Spa Therapy’.
Graduates either receive the Malaysian Skilled Certificate ( SKM) Level II in Aesthetic Service, or the Spa Therapy Diploma by Vocational Training Charitable Trust from the UK.
Also present were Yayasan Sarawak director Azmi Bujang, Women and Family Department director Noriah Ahmad, Skills Development Department Sarawak director Zaid Mat San, Rafflesia Wellness Sdn Bhd managing director Shirley Hasmani Eddie and Rafflesia Wellness Sdn Bhd advisor Eddie Abdullah.
Meanwhile when met at the graduation ceremony, Jennifer Janet Jona was excited about starting her career as a beautician at Rafflesia Spa outlet in Hilton Kuching.
The 24-year- old graduate was happy to accept the job offer before graduation.
“I was unemployed for many months. After STPM, I worked as a promoter but I resigned. A friend told me about this sixmonth course and I took it. I learnt a lot from this handson course. I am happy to be ‘employable’ now,” she said.
Her coursemate Adibah Rashid, 24, was also offered to work at Rafflesia Spa outlet in Hilton Kuching.
She was once an operator in a Japanese company but resigned and was unemployed for some time. Then, she found out about this course from a friend.
Both Jennifer and Adibah share the same dream to open their own beauty and wellness salon in future.
Corey Miheng, 31, was a customer service staff at a hypermarket for three years before she quit. She was jobless for more than a year and then took the course after seeing a notice about the course intake in the newspaper.
She was also offered a job before graduation. A local, she had her practical training in Kota Kinabalu and would be working in Kuala Lumpur.
Belarina Delphine, 28, took the spa therapy course to complement her nail technician job.
She realised that the demand for spa and massage services was high when she was doing her freelance nail services.
“Clients asked me to also give them foot and hand massages when I did their nails. That’s why I went for the spa therapy training,” said the mother of two.
She added that her freelance job allows her to earn some income while taking care of her family.