Hi Milo, Our first thought is that part of the feasibility study re new programs would include communicating with subject matter experts. Once it is determined that adding a new program makes sense you'll need an expert to direct the development of the program and work with marketing and other departments to help them understand what student market you are seeking and what students' special needs may be. So seems like you would be involved with subject matter experts from the start. Thanks, Susan
Great point, This is a very common mistake.
Last year we made the mistake of adding a new program that we thought would have been successful, but at the end it did not work so well.
We eventually came to the decision that we needed to reanalyzed our courses. so we come up with a list of thing to conceder before adding any other new course for example look at the market make some gone calls to see what most people would interested in taking.
So We have decided that we will not offer any new program without doing those preliminary things.
PATRICIA,
Good points.Schools are quick to plan new programs without doing their homework. This homework includes checking out the competition and seeing if there are actually jobs in your community for graduates. This takes talking to employers and potential employers, researching the training needs in your community, and much more. All this is a reason that MaxKnowledge is working on a new course about how to determine the feasibility of a new program. Watch for it. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
When adding new programs it is very important to first do a fisability test to see if they would be worth investing in.
Deirdre,
You are so correct. A feasibility study is very important. It points to programs you haven't thought of and identifies if there are jobs for grads. While doing the study you reach out to the community and learn a lot from new relationships. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We are in process of researching whether to add another new program. We are looking at workforce development statistics, potential clinical sites, availability of qualified instructors (qualified meaning they meet standards for the accreditation we will pursue). We got some conflicting information from the regulatory board who claim the market is saturated because there are 5 schools in the state, and from members of the community who say they are wait-listed for 2 years for one of the current schools. The board can offer no objective statistics for claiming saturation. It is harder to get supporting data when you are trying to lead the wave, not catch it after saturation, but it is important to have some solid stats so you don't build a program and find no one comes. Businesses featured in local business magazines have been helpful in saying why they started here in the field we are researching, and they are seeking qualified employees. You have to document everything and really look at it.
denise,
You have identified all the issues surrounding program add decisions. Bottom line - will there be jobs for your grads now and in the future? You will have competition so how will your program be better? And, have you really researched the community to truly determine what training is needed? There may be jobs in your community that you don't know about. There may be special training that only employers know about. If you want that information you have to ask the right questions of a sufficient number of people. MaxKnowledge now has a program add course to assist you in this kind of research. You might find it will answer a lot of questions and provide how to's to get documented answers to your questions. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
One of my specialties is job development. I love placing an intern with a company so that the intern develops clientele and demonstrates good business development in a way that impresses the company to make a job offer. But the EC of our organization does not want to look at some of the new trends I've been unearthing in rehab/PT/boomer quality of life services related to a new program. I give them info on new companies opening in the area that have projected growth and a number of locations, and they consider this nebulous. they want "proof". I say sometimes by the time you have "proof," the wave has passed by.
denise,
Hmmm. Sounds like you have a challenge. You have great ideas and where you work might not be able to consider them. Always interesting. For now you might want to consider thinking of ways to gain proof. Data is very valuable. I find it is easy to make a point when I have information to back it up. You might discover something new. It seems you like to do that. So looks like a chance to develop some new ideas. Good luck, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
In the first 3 years of our existence, our program was toward a diploma in Massage Therapy; we then added on to that to offer an Associate Degree program in Medical Massage Therapy as well; I saw this as great in our mission to transition as a viable option for patients who utilize Western medicine yet are looking outside of medications or surgery; in other words, to go mainstream. 2 years ago, we also attempted to add a Personal Training Program and create a Wellness Division, consisting of Massage and Personal Training. It never got off the ground for some reason, and there is only one local competitor in the area for both disciplines. We recently were approved by NCBTMB as a school to offer CEU courses and are very excited about that! We just continue to look at what people want, what the growing trends are, and how we can set ourselves apart from the competition.
Albert,
Interesting history. All the steps seem logical. But - were they researched and did you base your plans and changes in data? While it seems to make sense to add medical massage to massage therapy programs, the reality is, most massage therapists want to get into the workplace quickly and don't have patience for a 2 year degree. Perhaps they will take continuing education courses that focus on medical massage. Personal training makes sense, in a way, because when combined with massage therapy it is very powerful. However, your students and grads might not want to know all that information. So - why not ask your students and grads what they want. Ask your faculty and staff. They might all have answers as to how to develop your school to grow your school and serve your market. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
We are a non-profit massage therapy school of long standing. We have struggled -- successfully for the most part -- with the changes in our industry as for-profit schools have entered the field and our local market. We have relied heavily on industry research papers on the future of massage therapy education from our professional associations. They provide great detail and have confirmed many of our gut feelings and trends we hear of anecdotally. They have proved invaluable for grant writing, fundraising and strategic planning.
Timothy,
Sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things. Have you researched the viability of adding courses in medical massage or sports massage or spa massage? This expands the grads ability to get work. What about reaching out to resorts and cruise lines to train their staff? The courses you add to the occupational programs can also be offered as continuing education to licensed professionals and others who have the opportunity to learn about your school. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
