Animal Care BTEC Diploma

Course code: FTB043

School of Health, Fitness & Supported Learning

The Programme

The Animal Care Course gives you the knowledge, understanding and skills that you need to prepare for working with Animals.
To be successful in this course you have to achieve 60 credits across seven units. The units are graded Pass, Merit or Distinction.
Teaching will be mainly in a practical, hands on environment and some in classrooms. This will be at Petroc and on specialist sites.
The course will be delivered in partnership with a variety of specialist Animal based agencies. The course consists of four mandatory units and three optional units.
The optional units are chosen to reflect our locals needs.

The four mandatory units are:
1. Work Experience
2. Maintaining Animal Accommodation
3. Practical Animal Feeding
4. Animal Health and Welfare

The optional units will cover areas such as Animal Handling and Behaviour; Animal Biology; Nursing of Animals; Animal Establishments and Animal Breeds and Grooming.

When studying this course you will also have a specialist Tutor to help support you and study a number of shorter courses which will help your employability skills to progress onto employment or onto the Animal Management (Level 3 course).

There is also the possibility to study for Functional Skills or retake GCSEs in Maths and English.

The Programme Content

Entry Requirements

If you are applying whilst currently in education, to be able to do this course you will need to have completed and achieved ONE of the following:

1. Four or more GCSEs at E or above
2. A full Level 1 vocational qualification at Pass or above
3. A full Level 2 vocational qualification at Pass or above

If you are a mature applicant you will be considered on your previous employment, experience, education & achievements

Costs

There could be extra costs incurred on this course for:
1. Practical clothing (which you may already have).
2. Transport to external specialist facilities/work placement.
3. A practical residential week.

Venue

Barnstaple, Main Site

Progression

Once you have successfully completed the Animal Care Level 2 course you will be able to progress onto one of the following:

1. Full or part time employment if you are able to secure a job in such areas as pet shop assistant, animal groomer, kennels or assistant dog trainer.
2. The Level 3 Animal Management Course.
3. Other Level 2 Vocational courses within Petroc.
4. Other Level 3 courses within Petroc.

Your personal tutor will give you lots of advice and guidance on what you could go onto. They will also help you apply for progression.
You will also do work experience whilst completing your Level 2 course which will help you decide what you want to do, as will the visits and Residential.

Length of Study

The Animal Care Diploma lasts for one academic year.

Academic Year

This course starts in the 2013 / 2014 academic year.