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Level 2 Animal Care & Welfare Assistant Standard

About the course

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. Animal Care and Welfare Assistants must have a strong work ethic and be prepared to work irregular hours in all weather conditions. They must maintain safe working practices and taking responsibility for themselves, animals and others.

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Course modules

Combined Competence and Knowledge Qualification

Skills, Knowledge & Behaviours

An apprentice will be required to undertake & have an understanding of a number of different core skills, knowledge & behaviours to complete this apprenticeship. They will also select one of the following specialised routes, which is relevant to their role (Animal Interaction & Handling; Rehoming; Movement & Transportation; Operation/Reception duties; Breeding; Zoos, Aquaria & Exotics; Working Dog Handler; Wildlife Rehabilitation; Vetinary Care Support). Please see factsheet for more information.

Functional Skills

Functional Skills

Level 1 Mathematics & Level 1 English

Entry requirements & additional information

Entry requirements

Entry Criteria

A potential Level 2 apprentice:

Must be aged 16 or over & have officially left school.

Must be employed (NOT self-employed) in the relevant occupational sector, working a minimum of 30 hours per week.

An individual can only undertake an apprenticeship at the same or lower level than a qualification they already hold, if this allows the individual to acquire substantive new skills and the content of the training is materially different from any prior training or a previous apprenticeship.

Must have the right to work in England & spend at least 50% of their working hours in England over the duration of the apprenticeship.

Must be a citizen of a country with in the European Economic Area (EEA) or have the right of abode in the UK AND have been ordinarily resident in the EEA for at least the previous 3 years on the first day of learning.

All Apprenticeships require Initial assessment, vocational skills scan, an interview and employment in the industry.

*Typically, an applicant will have attained a minimum of 4 GCSEs at Grade E/2 or above including maths & English or a vocational qualification Level 1 plus GCSE grade E/2 or above in both maths & English. N.B. English & maths Functional Skills Level 1 will be accepted as an alternative to GCSE’s. 

All potential apprentices will be asked to complete an online functional skills assessment regardless of previous qualifications*. 

Apprentices who begin their apprenticeship training when aged 19+ will no longer be subject to the mandatory requirement to study towards and achieve English and Maths. However English and Maths will still be delivered as an embedded part of the apprenticeship.   

 For apprentices aged 19+, the apprentice or their employer can still choose for the apprentice to study towards and achieve English and Maths qualification.  

'The college advises learners to keep studying English and maths to enhance their career prospects and facilitate progression to higher-level qualifications'. 

 The government will continue to fund those apprentices that wish to study towards an English and maths qualification.  

Exceptional entries will be considered for all Apprenticeships at the discretion of the college based on experience, successful interview and outcomes of Initial and Diagnostic assessments for English and Maths to establish current levels of ability

Learning and assessment

Theory work & learning materials delivered online with photographic, video & audio evidence being collected through the Onefile E-Portfolio platform, supported by off site technical training at Myerscough College as required.

The employer will have access to their apprentices Onefile E-Portfolio so they can monitor progress & work that has been set by the tutor.

The qualification is made up of a number of mandatory units designed to have maximum relevance to the job & integrate with day to day responsibilities.

An employer must allow an apprentice 20% of their working week to undertake work required to complete their apprenticeship (this is a legal requirement) & will include any college attendance required.

There will be an end point assessment, conducted by an independent assessor.

All components must be passed for the apprentice to meet the apprenticeship standard & these will include:

  • Practical Assessment
  • Professional Discussion

There will be 2 levels of achievement: Pass & Discussion

In the unlikely event of an apprentice needing to resit an End Point Assessment (or elements of the End Point Assessment), then the employer will be responsible for funding these additional costs.

Progression

Apprentices successfully completing the Level 2 Apprenticeship have opportunities to progress within the industry by continuing onto the Level 3 Apprenticeship in Animal Care or other Further Education courses.

Careers

Typical jobs apprentices will be able to progress onto on completion of this Apprenticeship will depend on the qualifications and experience gained, but could include: kennel/cattery assistant, animal technician, assistant day care assistant, zoo keeper assistant & animal handler.

Animal Studies

Britain is well regarded as a nation of animal lovers, from companion pets to large animal collections. This has resulted in a multi-million pound industry, ranging from well known national pet feed companies to pet stores, catteries and kennels and numerous other businesses providing for the needs of animals.

If you care about animals and have a deep interest in their health and wellbeing, Myerscough provides an excellent opportunity for you to further your studies. You'll develop a range of skills and have the opportunity to care for a range of animals including dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets, farm animals, reptiles and amphibians and a range of invertebrates.

Our new £3m Animal Studies Centre
Our new £3m Animal Studies Centre

Our Animal Studies Centre

Myerscough College’s Animal Studies Centre has tripled in size after the completion of a £3 million extension and major refurbishment. The new Animal Studies Centre features specialist classrooms, dedicated indoor and outdoor areas for different animal groups, as well as spacious private rooms, reception and study areas, all fully equipped with the latest I.T technology.

The Animal Studies Centre also offers a range of services to the public, from grooming and healthcare through to behaviour classes and hydrotherapy for injury recovery.

Water dragon
Water dragon

Our Animals

As part of your course at Myerscough College, you'll get to work with a wide range of animals, from dogs and cats through to chameleons, iguanas and snakes, fish and invertebrates. You'll also get to help look after the College Alpacas, Bailey and Icicle - two of the department's biggest characters.

A choice of learning locations

As well as our £3m Animal Studies Centre at our Preston Campus, we also offer Animal Studies courses at our learning centres, including our new Animal Studies Centre at Croxteth Park in Liverpool, Walton Hall in Warrington and Witton Park in Blackburn. 

Scottish Wildcats at Myerscough College
Scottish Wildcats at Myerscough College

Scottish Wildcats

Myerscough College plays a key role in the conservation of Britain's most iconic native predator, the Scottish Wildcat as part of Scottish Wildcat Action's conservation and breeding programme. There could be as few as 100 of these timid and elusive cats left in the wild and this work goes a long way to ensuring their survival.

cat in basket
cat in basket

Blue Cross Rehoming Centre

The Animal Studies Centre is now officially working in partnership with Blue Cross and now has a rehoming centre on the Myerscough Campus. This gives a fabulous experience for students who get the opportunity to work in a real life rehoming environment, gaining a valuable insight into the workings of a cattery and developing skills for employment within the animal sector.

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Oldham Apprentices with WB Tutor David Hilton.jpg

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Myerscough College Apprentice Case Studies
Myerscough College Apprentice Case Studies

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Don't just take our word for it, meet a selection of our Apprentices and hear what they have to say about an Apprenticeship with Myerscough College.

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Myerscough College Traineeships
Myerscough College Traineeships

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Myerscough College Apprenticeships
Myerscough College Apprenticeships

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Myerscough College, St Michael's Road, Bilsborrow, Preston, PR3 0RY

For all enquiries please see our contact page or call 01995 642222.

UK Provider Registration Number: 10004478