this might be a long and heated debate but i thought i'd ask anyway
i have recently been on a web site which advertises jobs in the professional sporting enviroment, jobs relating to sports therapy/sports massage/sports rehabilitators and almost all the jobs require a BS(Hons)
so my question is , how does private course providers who offer Dips at level 3/4/5 stand up to degree course when applying for jobs to pro sports teams.
when your CV shows;
Sports therapy degree BS (Hons)
or
Sports therapy Dip level???
which cert do you think a club will go for?
myself i like the look of private course providers due to the hands on approach but thats just me. I've found some ST whoo have degrees and no better than myself at the job and some are well lets say not so good at the hands on part.
i would just like to know if Dips are as good as degrees when it comes to applying for work.
im asking this question as im looking at upskilling and wondered what the best root is
there was a pretty interesting debate last year on this subject
I dont think there is anything wrong with anyone wanting a degree, however, having trained many people with ST and SR (and for that matter physio) degrees, I cant say that they have an edge over lots of diplomates out there, when it comes to treating soft tissue dysfunction.
I suppose it depends on what you are trained in, if you look around there are hardly any diploma level sports therapy courses (I know of three), but lots of sports massage therapy courses, which frankly are not sports therapy.
If the degrees are here to stay (and I include foundation degrees in that), then they have to massively increase the amount of hands on soft tissue work in their courses to ensure their grads are up to scratch, until they do that, my money is with the diploma. I have only ever employed two BSc grads, both of whom had done additional sports/remedial massage courses, but have given work experience to many that had only done the degree, and not a single one of them lasted, or compared to any of my diplomate therapists.
Hi beagle,
I think uou have answered your own question. As Richard pointed out diplomates are not neccessarily of an inferior standard to graduates but you cannot get away from the fact that the professional organisations want a degree. I guess it all depends on what you want to achieve and where your career is heading. Again as Richard pointed out degree study far outweighs diploma study now and could well be the future which is disappointing because it is so expensive going to uni now.
Dan.
Hi beagle,
I think uou have answered your own question. As Richard pointed out diplomates are not neccessarily of an inferior standard to graduates but you cannot get away from the fact that the professional organisations want a degree. I guess it all depends on what you want to achieve and where your career is heading. Again as Richard pointed out degree study far outweighs diploma study now and could well be the future which is disappointing because it is so expensive going to uni now.
Dan.
Hi Dan,
if you flip back to the last thread relating to internships, you will see that these professional organisations are looking for grad physios, st's, sr's, sports scientists etc, to work for free, you will also see that the diploma level sports massage therapists are offered paid work. I know more ST's with diplomas working in elite sport than I do ST's with degrees.
The degrees do outweigh diploma in relation to academic study (most of which the student has to undertake themselves anyway) but most decent diplomas far outweigh the degree in useable practical skills.
Hi Dan,
if you flip back to the last thread relating to internships, you will see that these professional organisations are looking for grad physios, st's, sr's, sports scientists etc, to work for free, you will also see that the diploma level sports massage therapists are offered paid work. I know more ST's with diplomas working in elite sport than I do ST's with degrees.The degrees do outweigh diploma in relation to academic study (most of which the student has to undertake themselves anyway) but most decent diplomas far outweigh the degree in useable practical skills.
Hi Richard,
I have just read the other thread (should have read that one first) Is it fair to say that Sports massage diplomates are getting the paid work as opposed to Sports Therapy diplomates?
Also from the other thread BGFL has said that the SST have admitted in writing that their diploma does not meet NOS. For me and several others I should imagine, that would be very useful information to have and surely that information must form part of there adverting for the diploma!
As it happens I will probably complete the course but would it be enough to then be able to do the top up with AHG?
Dan.
Hi Richard,
I have just read the other thread (should have read that one first) Is it fair to say that Sports massage diplomates are getting the paid work as opposed to Sports Therapy diplomates? No, diplomate ST's (well those that havent gone down the route you took, without naming courses), are taught sports massage and remedial techniques. The majority of diplomate STs that I know, working in elite sport, are working as part of the medical team, diagnosing(!), treating and rehabbing, some are limited to sports massage though, but not many that I know. The problem with lots of sports massage quals, the therapist can only work on healthy tissue, which means no work after injury.
Also from the other thread BGFL has said that the SST have admitted in writing that their diploma does not meet NOS. For me and several others I should imagine, that would be very useful information to have and surely that information must form part of there adverting for the diploma! It isnt compulsory for a course to meet NOS. The difference is, NOS have been approved (along with the published core curriculum), by every sports therapy/massage association, bar one, as the national minimum standard.
As it happens I will probably complete the course but would it be enough to then be able to do the top up with AHG?
Dan.
Would have to chat about the AHG thing off forum