In the first few months of the 2023/24 academic year, the Product Development team at Skills and Education Group Awards have been busy developing a huge variety of new animal care qualifications.

From dog grooming to zookeeping, the new qualifications cover a huge range of specialisms and job roles.

Read on for an overview of all the new developments.

Animal Licensing Inspectors and Welfare Officers

In September, we launched new qualifications designed with Animal Licensing Inspector and Animal Welfare Officer job roles in mind.

The Level 3 Award for Animal Licensing Inspectors is suitable for those looking to become an Animal Licensing Inspector or those currently working in this role who want to formalise their current training.

The qualification provides learners with the information required under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 to become an Animal Licensing Inspector with the local authority.

Similarly, the Level 3 Diploma for Animal Welfare Officers provides learners with the information required to become an Animal Welfare Officer under the same regulations.

Zookeeping

We have also launched a qualification to provide learners with the knowledge required to begin a career in zookeeping, or to provide a formal qualification to those already working as a Zookeeper.

The Level 3 Diploma in Zookeeping covers a range of topics related to zoos and zookeeping, such as:

• Zoos in history.
• Zoological conservation.
• Education in zoos.
• The role of the media in zoos.
• Zoo animal health.

Veterinary Nursing Assistants

If you want to offer a route into veterinary nursing careers, we also now offer a qualification for this job role.

The Level 2 Diploma for Veterinary Nursing Assistants is designed for those who are looking to become a Veterinary Nursing Assistant, or are already working in Veterinary Nursing and wish to develop their knowledge and skill set further. It will provide learners with a variety of knowledge of the practices and legislative procedures they may encounter whilst working in a veterinary environment as auxiliary staff.

As part of this qualification, learners must carry out a placement in a veterinary environment for a minimum of two weeks and be supervised by a qualified Veterinary Nursing Assistant or Registered Veterinary Nurse.

Canine Care and Welfare

Earlier in November, we made further additions to our animal care suite with two canine care and welfare qualifications.

The Level 3 Award in Canine Care and Welfare has been designed to develop knowledge and skills within canine care and welfare and to provide learners with the knowledge of caring for canines in different settings.

The Level 3 Diploma in Canine Care, Behaviour and Welfare has been designed to provide learners with the knowledge of caring for canines to provide high welfare standards and knowledge of their behaviour.

In addition, we released the Level 3 Award in Small Animal Care and Welfare, which provides learners with an introduction to the care and welfare of small animals.

Professional Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, Dog Day Care and Home Boarding

The Level 4 Certificate in Professional Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, Dog Day Care and Home Boarding has been designed to develop knowledge and skills within these fields.

It is aimed at those who are currently in a role surrounding pet sitting, dog walking, dog day care or home boarding or planning to work in this type of role in the future. This qualification will allow learners to formalise their learning, especially if they are looking after pets in any capacity.

Pet Care in Retail

We also now offer a qualification for those looking after pets in a retail environment. The Level 3 Certificate for Pet Care in Retail has been designed to provide learners with a framework of knowledge when providing customer care and looking after pets in a retail environment.

Completion of this qualification could lead to employment within pet shops.

Find out more here.

Veterinary Receptionists

Our latest animal care qualification is the Level 3 Certificate for Veterinary Receptionists, which has been designed to develop knowledge and skills for those currently working as a Veterinary Receptionist or aspiring to do so.

Completion of this qualification may lead to employment as a Veterinary Receptionist, which can then provide opportunities to progress on to becoming a Veterinary Nurse.

Interested in delivering any of these animal care qualifications?

In addition to the above qualifications, we also launched three dog grooming qualifications in September 2023, which we covered in this article.

You can view all of our animal care qualifications here.

If you’re interested in delivering any of these qualifications, visit our Become a Centre page to get started or contact our Relationship Managers.

Other upcoming developments

We have a huge range of other animal care qualifications that are currently in development. Throughout the remainder of 2023 and into 2024, we will be launching new qualifications regularly.

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