facebook noscript

Animal Care

Animal Care (Technical Diploma) Level 2 Full-time

In Brief

Start Date / Duration

This one year study programme starts in September 2024.

Entry requirements

  • Four GCSEs at grade 3 or above including English and Maths

OR progression from Level 1 Animal Care Technical Diploma.

You will achieve

Level 2 Technical Diploma in Animal Care.

Course overview

There’s a common saying that you should never work with animals. Try telling that to a Penguinologist…

Whether you’ve got a passion for your penguins, you’re crazy about your cats or you have an almost unhealthy love of llamas, working with animals could be the perfect career move for you. Key skills include being confident handling animals, patience, and a willingness to get your hands dirty. Being good at belly rubs and the ability to scratch behind ears are also desirable. Barnsley College has it’s very own farm! Set in the Worsbrough Country Park area of Barnsley, Wigfield Farm has three main functions:

  • A working farm producing livestock
  • A base for Barnsley college land based courses
  • An open farm and visitors Ccntre accessible to the local and wider community

Although farm staff are employed, the day to day work of the farm is undertaken by students following one of our many programmes of study. This gives them a real working environment to develop their skills and knowledge. We have a wide range of animals including chickens, cows, donkeys, goats, guinea pigs, llamas, meerkats, pigs, rabbits, sheep, as well as a rodent room. Our students take a walk on the wild side in our exotics room where they care for and study a variety of reptiles. This course is ideal if you are interested in a career working with animals, introducing the main principles and practices of animal care and welfare.

 

Course content

Based at our Wigfield Farm campus, this one year study programme will give you the skills and knowledge that are important when you are working with animals, or progressing to further learning and training in this area.

Course Content

The areas of study are:

  • Maintain animal health and welfare
  • Animal feeding and accommodation
  • Animal behaviour and handling
  • Working in the animal care industry
  • Health and safety for the land-based industries
  • The principles of animal biology
  • Care of exotic animals

You will be required to undertake 150 hours of work placement.

City and Guilds course specifications

  • Two externally set assignments
  • One externally set and marked exam, sat under examination conditions
  • Internally set assignments

You will be required to wear a standard uniform and also PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) for practical work. This will be steel toe capped boots and overalls.

Wigfield Farm
Haverlands Lane
Barnsley
S70 5NQ

You could progress on to the Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in Animal Management.

Beyond College, there are many opportunities such as Animal Care Assistant, Pet Shop Assistant, Kennel or Cattery worker.

See what careers are available in the Animal Management sector. Use our online careers tool, Career Coach, to find out what your next steps could be.

How much does the course cost?

16 – 18 year olds

Full-time Barnsley College students aged 16-18 years old do not have to pay tuition fees.

Extra information

For further information please contact our friendly Information Team on +44 (0)1226 216 123 or email info@barnsley.ac.uk

Barnsley College has a range of sports opportunities for all students to take part in, gain professional training and compete nationally and internationally. We also have a state-of-the-art fitness village, Honeywell Sports Village where students can make use of our fitness suite, spinning studio and classes for competitive rates. You don’t have to be studying sport to get involved in the Sports Academy.

Our Additional Learning Support team can provide you with the support you need. Please contact them on +44 (0)1226 216 769.

Having good English and Maths qualifications are important for most careers and we want to give you the help you need to succeed.

If you are aged 16 – 19 and don’t already have a grade C/4 or above in GCSE English and Maths they will automatically be included in your study programme. If you want to work towards higher grades in English and Maths we can help you do that too.

Need a higher level Maths qualification? We offer a Level 3 Mathematical Studies (Core Maths).

This can be added to your study programme.

If you need any further information, please contact our friendly Information Team.

Please note we reserve the right to change details without notice. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Animal Care (Technical Diploma) Level 2 Full-time

Skip to content