Massage training as rural development?

EDMONTON - Rural economic diversification programs are a big deal in Alberta. For decades, job opportunities have been concentrated in the cities or in the work camps and new towns of the energy boom, not in the towns or villages of the rural West.

Career training usually means relocation to the closest large centre for university, college or trade school. At the MH Vicars School of Massage Therapy in Edmonton and Calgary, their program is aimed at mature students, who do most of the work at home.

Studying in their home communities and on their own schedules has proved to be a great benefit for rural resident needing to feed cattle, or get kids to the school bus every morning.

Students come to the school from all over Alberta, Saskatchewan and even the territories. They have hands-on classroom sessions one weekend a month during the two-year program, and do most of their academic work at the kitchen table, or in a home office.

"We aren't a correspondence school," says Maryhelen Vicars, the school's director. "But with our distance-learning materials, supported by the practical instruction and lectures of the monthly classes, students don't have to leave their families, farms or day jobs to train for a new career.

"People are often surprised to learn how great a demand there is for massage therapy outside the larger centres," she says. "But if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. So many rural jobs are physical work, and there is always a risk of injury. When it comes to getting back to work, rural people have learned that massage treatments can speed up their recovery and get them back on the equipment sooner."

The two-year program is the equivalent of any 2200-hour program in Alberta or Saskatchewan, and requires a commitment of about 20-25 hours a week in independent study time. New classes begin in January and September each year.

Is a massage career right for you?

The Work: Massage therapists assess the soft tissue and joints of the body and administer massage therapy to relieve pain and symptoms of stress or to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or improve physical function or athletic performance.

The Opportunities: Employers are actively seeking massage therapy grads in Alberta communities of all sizes. Wherever Albertans work or play, therapists are in great demand. Demand will only increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next five to 10 years.

The Job: Most massage therapists are self-employed. They may travel to clients' offices or homes, or work in their own homes or offices, or in clinics. Increasingly, even in smaller centres, chiropractors, physicians, physical therapists are sharing their space with massage therapists.

The Income: Income ranges depend on the type of employment, location and number of clients. Massage therapists may charge from $30 to $50 for a half hour treatment and $50 to $80 for a one hour treatment (2007 estimates). Some therapists bill 20 to 30 client hours a week. Massage therapists on contract to clinics receive a percentage (often 60 per cent) of billings.