Jari Jari Spa Training Academy has sent 95 per cent of its 650 Sabahan graduates to Peninsular Malaysia to help reduce the number of foreign spa therapists there.

According to its chief executive officer, Datin Jeanette Tambakau, there are around 6,000 foreigners working as spa therapists in Malaysia’s annual RM700 million revenue industry.

Jeanette, who is also Association of Malaysian Spas president, said the academy established its first government-sponsored program in June 2012 in order to relieve the reliance on these foreigners and help Sabahans find work.

She added that through government statutory body programs, the academy was able to guarantee placements for its trainees, many today with lucrative careers.

Jeanette shared that many of its graduates have continued to work as spa therapists, earning up to RM2,500 for a start and up to RM5,000 and RM6,000 after gaining more experience.

She called upon its alumni to become entrepreneurs and ultimately job creators in Sabah.

“I am talking to a lot of government agencies so we can get the funds to train you (alumni) to become entrepreneurs so that after you have gained much experience out there, you can become entrepreneurs in the future,” said Jeanette.

“So if you work for two years, you come out and do your own business. You can do mobile spa business and many other things. So this can be your career path,” she added at the Jari Jari Spa Training Academy Peneraju Skil Iltizam Spa Terapi Program Cohort 3 graduation ceremony at University College Sabah Foundation here yesterday.

Since its involvement in the program, the academy has trained 121 trainees and placed them in 15 spas throughout Malaysia.

All of the 32 female graduates yesterday received job placements after successfully completing the three-month training program, fully sponsored by Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera (YPPB).

For the 2017/2018 session, Jeanette said the academy had been entrusted to train 160 under the program.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by Shalina R.

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