About the course
Throughout the Animal Care and Welfare Assistant Level 2 Apprenticeship � Veterinary Care Pathway, apprentices will develop the knowledge, practical skills and professional behaviours needed to provide high-quality care and support within a veterinary practice.
Key areas of learning include:
Understanding animal health, welfare and the legislation that underpins veterinary and animal care practice.
Recognising signs of illness, injury, stress and poor welfare, and understanding appropriate reporting procedures.
Safe handling, restraint and movement of a range of animal species.
Animal husbandry practices, including feeding, nutrition, grooming and maintaining suitable accommodation.
Infection prevention, biosecurity and maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
Supporting the care and wellbeing of animals receiving treatment or recovering from illness.
Understanding animal behaviour and how it influences welfare, handling and care requirements.
Providing appropriate exercise, enrichment and environmental stimulation to support animal wellbeing.
Basic animal first aid and preventative healthcare principles.
Effective communication and customer service skills when interacting with colleagues, clients and visitors.
Safe working practices, risk awareness and teamwork within a veterinary environment.
Developing professional behaviours such as responsibility, reliability, resilience, organisation and a commitment to animal welfare.
At Myerscough College, apprentices benefit from a blend of practical workplace learning, dedicated tutor support, online resources and regular progress reviews. This combination of training and industry experience helps learners build the confidence, competence and professional skills required for a successful career within the veterinary and animal care sector.
Key Information
Location: Employers Premises
Start date: Regular starts throughout the year
Course length: Two Years
Entry requirements & additional information
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.
The apprenticeship is completed through an independent End-Point Assessment (EPA), which typically includes:
Practical observation in the workplace
Professional discussion
Demonstration of occupational competence
End point assessments are all independent of Myerscough College.
Successful completion of the Animal Care and Welfare Assistant Level 2 Apprenticeship � Veterinary Care Pathway can open the door to a range of opportunities within the animal care and veterinary sectors.
Learners may progress into roles such as:
Veterinary Care Assistant
Animal Welfare Assistant
Kennel Assistant
Cattery Assistant
Animal Care Technician
Animal Day Care Assistant
Pet Retail Assistant
Wildlife Rehabilitation Assistant
Animal Handler
Apprentices may also choose to continue their education through higher-level qualifications, including:
Level 3 Veterinary Nursing Apprenticeship (subject to meeting entry requirements)
Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing
Level 3 Animal Management qualifications
Other specialist animal care and welfare programmes
All apprentices are required to have suitable employment in order to complete the programme.
A contract of employment must be in place and apprentices must be paid in line with minimum wage rules.
Programme costs are covered by employers through their digital apprenticeship service account.
Show a commitment to learning and applying new skills.