Kerala's state government’s skills agency, Kerala Academy of Skills Excellence (KASE), has partnered with Natura Group to create the School of Wellness – a spa studies centre in the Indian region.

Located in Jagathy in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram, the centre has been set up with the aim of creating highly skilled and professional workers for all levels of the spa industry. It offers two courses accredited by KASE – a postgraduate programme in spa management and an A-Level programme in spa therapy.

The centre will also offer other courses in spa therapy that are yet to receive government accreditation.

The School of Wellness’s courses aim to arm students with a good understanding of human physiology, as well as the theoretical and practical bases of spa therapies. Traditional and modern therapy techniques will be taught from various countries, including India, Thailand, Sweden, Japan and Bali.

V. N. Roy, vice-chairman of the School of Wellness said: “There is a rising demand for qualified personnel in the wellness industry. For instance, a number of employees who were trained on the job at Natura’s spa were later given lucrative offers by large-scale enterprises, which motivated Natura to offer professional training in spa therapy and management.”

Classes are set to begin in January 2017 and forty students each will be admitted to the two accredited courses.