Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced a new six-month spa internship programme and a separate subsequent 18-month spa management programme.

“We started on these programmes last year,” said Andrea Lomas, head of group spa operations for Mandarin Oriental speaking to Spa Opportunities about how the two programmes work and why they were developed. “About twelve years ago, we worked closely with universities – recruiting young graduates to work in our spas. These people stayed for around a year, but then they left. They hoped to become the next CEO in six months without any practical experience.

“Now, we’re taking people on who are studying business management degree courses during their second year placement periods for a duration of six months,” added Lomas. “These students are our spa interns.”

During the spa internship programme, candidates will be trained the basic spa business principles in the role of a spa attendant. Then they will be taught how the spa fitness and wellness areas correspond to the treatment room facilities. The next step involves learning health and safety protocols and about the organisation and set up of the spa.

Interns will then spend three-and-a-half months in the role of spa concierge, working on their product knowledge, treatment listings, treatment service training and taking reservations. After this, the intern helps therapists set up at the back-of-house.

“These interns aren’t therapists but they will attend treatment and product training sessions,” said Lomas.

Once interns have completed their internships – and the rest of their degrees at university – they are welcome to sign up to take the 18-month management trainee programme. During these two years, trainees will spend at least nine months in the role of spa concierge – overseeing therapists, monitoring the inventory and learning about product management.

Then trainees will start to shadow managers on duty, before working in a supervisory role – using a number of online programmes to teach themselves about the responsibilities involved.

In this supervisory position, trainees will work on three projects under the direction of a spa director in the following areas: finance; marketing; retail; or operations.

“For example, projects might include looking at the best selling products or treatments in the spa,” said Lomas. “Or it might be a market research project, or a yield management survey looking at peak treatment times at that property.

“At the end of the 18 months, depending on performance, trainees will become supervisors in a Mandarin Oriental spa – to work towards achieving a management role."

“We’re taking on people who have a lot of understanding of business management with no practical experience and we’re training them up. They have to start at the ground level and understand the process”.

Mandarin Oriental’s group director of spa, Jeremy McCarthy, added: “Running a profitable spa is a complex operation that requires great expertise across a variety of disciplines. The management trainee programme helps us to cultivate the right skill-sets in our people to help them grow successfully into leadership positions within the spas.”