Animal Care and Welfare Assistant
This Apprenticeship consists of:
✯A minimum duration of 12 months learning
✯Functional Skills Maths (Level 1)
✯Functional Skills English (Level 1)
✯An independent assessment following the end date of learning
The Apprenticeship
duration will be a minimum of 12 months. Typical duration is 18 months, and 20%
of your time must be spent studying off-the-job (OTJ).
Animal Care and Welfare Assistants look after the routine day to day husbandry and care of domestic and/or wild animals under guidance in a variety of different settings. The work is carried out individually or as part of a team in places such as kennels and catteries, laboratories, animal welfare centres, farm parks, rehabilitation centres, retail outlets and in the transportation of animals.
The role of an apprentice includes:
- Promoting the health and
well-being of animals in your care.
- Delivering basic
treatment to animals within the workplace.
- Maintaining the animals’
accommodation and preparing their feed.
- Learning to safely control and restrain the animals you are working with.
Individuals will need to achieve the core skills and knowledge, behaviours and one option from the following list: Animal Interaction and Handling, Rehoming; Movement and Transportation; Operational/Reception Duties; Breeding; Zoos, Aquaria and Exotics; Working Dog Handler; Wildlife Rehabilitation, Veterinary Care Support. The different pathways will be discussed with you at interview to make sure you undertake the apprenticeship pathway that best suits your job role and interests.
A work-based apprenticeship will:
- Help you work at the commercial speed animal care employers expect.
- Increase your confidence working with animals, in a team and in the workplace.
- Give you the skills and knowledge to become a competent member of staff.
- Give you a reference for your CV.
- Provide you with essential employability skills to give you the best start in your working life.
- Put you alongside highly experienced and qualified staff who will train you to develop your skills working with animals.
Benefits to employers
- Grow your business: Affordable way to expand and develop your business
- Cost effective: Provide valuable opportunities whilst minimising recruitment and training costs
- Enhanced reputation: Provide client reassurance by investing in trained staff
- Increased productivity: Maximise staff efficiency though the development of knowledge and skills
Your apprentice will benefit from:
- Tuition, support and assessment provided in the workplace, online and via email and telephone contact
- Support and guidance from an allocated, qualified Work-based Learning Assessor
Entry Requirements:
An employer will determine their own entry requirements for an employee to commence this apprenticeship, but these general entry requirements apply; you must be aged 16 years or over and must be working in the day to day husbandry and care of domestic and/or wild animals for at least 30 hours a week. You also need to be a resident in England and not taking part in full-time education. Sometimes you can work less hours a week with the apprenticeship taking a longer period.