Certificate III in Animal Studies

People who are successful in this industry have:

• A passion for animals and their welfare
• A calm nature
• Attention to detail
• The ability to work unsupervised
• A collaborative team spirit
• Good communication skills

Assessments give you the opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned, and to identify the knowledge or skills that may need further development. In this course you will undertake:

• Written assessments include assignments, quizzes and short question answers
• Practical assessments include animal handling and restraint, health checks, and medication administration

Online students will complete their practical in their chosen workplace. You may be asked to complete a workplace logbook, and provide photo or video evidence as assessment tasks.

The Certificate II in Animal Studies, is an entry-level qualification that provides some exposure to real-world experiences. You will learn about a broad range of animal species and gain foundational skills to set you up for success further studies. This course is the official pre-requisite for the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing.

This course, the Certificate III in Animal Studies provides real world exposure where you will apply all that you have learnt in the classroom. It is the natural progression from the Certificate II in Animal Studies. It is an assistant level qualification that provides increasing experiences and responsibilities. You will practice your skills at an intermediate level.

The Certificate IV in Companion Animals, Captive Animals and Veterinary Nursing advanced courses, progresses your existing knowledge and experience with animals and focuses on building supervisory capabilities. These courses do not cover the foundational skills gained in the Certificate II and III level courses.

Depending on your campus location and local partnerships with TAFE NSW, you may have the opportunity to participate in excursions that take you behind the scenes in the Animal Services industry. These may include:

• Pet boarding facilities
• Animal welfare organisations like the RSPCA
• Council led animal shelters

You will gain hands-on experience in:

• Bathing and grooming pets
• Performing health examinations on animals
• Administering medical treatments
• Safe manual handling of animals
• Creating nutritional diets for animals
• Updating workplace documents and records

TAFE NSW is known for delivering theory accompanied or in conjunction with practical, hands-on learning. You will work on real world projects, such as:

• Attending and participating in workplace meetings
• Reporting signs of ill health of animals
• Contributing to workplace biosecurity and infection control
• Undertaking hazard and risk assessments
• Calculating specific diets for animals in your care

TAFE NSW offers you a range of online and on campus study environments - industry specific computer rooms, simulated workplaces, study areas, and general student facilities - to enhance your learning and employability. Many TAFE NSW campuses also have animal facilities onsite, which may include:

• Animal houses
• Pet grooming facilities
• Equine facilities
• Livestock facilities
• Aviary facilities

The animal care industry is growing in demand as people's expectations increase about animal welfare. These expectations create strong competition between who can provide the best animal health and animal wellbeing services and are leading to the demand of qualified workers across the many careers in the animal care industry.

The animal care industry is currently booming. The demand of pet care is on the rise, and people are spending larger amounts of money on their animals. To keep up with the demand, employers have a strong expectation that their staff have undertaken official training in the Animal Care industry, in order for them to provide efficient, compassionate and effective care. This course allows your employer to be confident in your abilities, as you secure meaningful employment in a career you love.