Animal Care

NEW Animal Care: Level 2 Apprenticeship starting September 2013 - Apply Now!

If you are interested in working with animals our department is ideally equipped to prepare you for this most rewarding and fulfilling career. The courses we teach attract people with many different career aims, from potential veterinary nurses and zoo keepers to farmers. Practical sessions are reinforced by theory classes to ensure that you are well equipped to begin a career in Animal Care. This approach has seen Ofsted consistently award us a Grade 2 for our teaching since 2004.

While the courses are both physically and mentally challenging, this is a friendly, welcoming place to learn and you will find yourself growing in maturity and confidence throughout your time here.

Our Staff

Our Tutors are passionately committed to teaching you the latest practices in Animal Care. Many of the staff here are still very active in our industries. Our Animal Care experience ranges from working on cattle ranches in Australia and New Zealand, to veterinary nursing and re-homing for animal charities.

Our Facilities

All of the land-based courses at Nescot take place in purpose built facilities which surround the main campus buildings. Including the Animal Care Centre, more than half of the College's available space is dedicated to supporting the studies in our courses. We are equipped with a range of exotic, agricultural and domestic pet animals, which you will learn to care for, and our staff’s industry experience means that we are always up to date with the latest thinking in our fields.

Links with Other Departments and Organisations

We have wonderful links with a wide variety of outside agencies and many of our staff are key members of domestic agricultural and wildlife associations. Not only does this feed the department's passion for our subject areas, but it also provides you with opportunities to apply your skills in the wider world. We work with Chessington Zoo, Battersea Dogs Home and a host of pet stores, kennels, catteries and animal rescue centres to give you a real understanding of the world you will be working in and the issues you will face.

Your Education and Your Career

We believe that Animal Care subjects are a way of life as well as a job. While many of the skills you learn are practical, we also want to give you a deep understanding of the various parts of the industry and how they all fit together. We will prepare you to give the best levels of care to the animals you will take charge of and help you turn your passion into your livelihood.

Previous students, including TV wildlife presenter David Bellamy, have gone on to higher education and to work in zoos and veterinary surgeries, wildlife sanctuaries and conservation projects and in a host of animal charities, kennels and the pet industry.