Build Your Career as Massage Therapist with VET Qualifications

As a career option, the job of a massage therapist takes more than experience and knowledge in the different styles of massages or touch therapy. A certified master of holistic massage techniques will always have a professional advantage over individuals who learned the healing arts as an apprentice to a local guru. Although their expertise is very much valued and trusted by those who already knew them, foreigners and potential clients won't be as easily trusting of their skills unless they presented credentials, like a license to practice or a certification that they learned to massage through actual courses.


Four Massage Certificate Levels in the Australian Qualifications Framework

These government-issued qualifications refer to certificates and diplomas awarded to graduates in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Each certification requires certain units of competency plus hours of workplace training and other requirements. Generally, these certificates and diplomas signify that the individual has achieved the learning objectives of the massage therapist course as described in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Certificates I and II cover the fundamentals in theory and application of therapeutic massages, which normally takes up to 12 months of learning. Meanwhile, Certificates III and IV involve procedural training and technical knowledge aside from the basics. These probably take up to four years that include internship or apprenticeship to an established massage center or spa. Short courses are designed for professionals who seek to build up their acquired knowledge and enhance their skills in massage styles from other cultures. On one hand, entry-level employment often requires longer training hours for fresh graduates.

Diploma and Advanced Diploma from Massage Therapist Courses

Though the learning outcomes of these qualifications appear similar to those under Certificates III and IV, graduates with a Diploma or an Advanced Diploma in massage therapy not only have the required knowledge and skills, but also underwent in-depth study of a specialized field, such as sports massage, or holistic training in various massage styles. Graduates of short courses, such as the Certificate V in Holistic Massage Therapy that requires 100 hours of training, have the same employment opportunities in Health Care as massage therapists with basic and advanced diplomas. Moreover, these professionals get hired not only in related occupations, but also in technical services and managerial positions.

A Certificate or Diploma for Vocational Graduates

A certificate in vocational training takes up to a year while a diploma likely requires another year before it's issued. These qualifications require specialized or advanced studies in "a systematic and coherent body of knowledge" as described in the Glossary section of MySkills Australia. These VET qualifications further require that graduates also go through a studious application of their knowledge and skills in an existing discipline or a new field of work. For example, massage therapist in a supervisory position at a hospital or health care facility would be expected to at least get a massage certificate here of their specialized training in a vocational course.