How to become Animal care worker
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- volunteering
- working towards this role
College
You could take a college course in animal care, for example:
- Level 1 Certificate in Skills for Working in Animal Care Industries
- Level 2 Diploma in Animal Care
- T Level in Animal Care and Management
- Level 3 Award in Small Animal Care and Management
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
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Apprenticeship
You could apply for a place on an apprenticeship, such as:
- Animal Care and Welfare Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Animal Care and Welfare Manager Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
These can take up to 1 year and 6 months to complete.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
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Volunteering
It'll help to have some experience of working with animals before you start looking for a job.
Volunteering with animal rescue, animal sanctuaries or conservation charities can sometimes lead to paid work. You may need to do jobs like fundraising or administration first, as a way to get in.
You can search for volunteering opportunities on sites like:
Some of the bigger national animal charities include:
You may be able to find smaller animal charities in your area by searching on the internet.
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Career tips
Looking after your own pets, dog walking or pet sitting can be good ways of learning more about small animal care.
Further information
You can find out more about careers in animal care from the: