Apprenticeship training course

Animal trainer (level 4)

Planning, managing, delivering and reviewing the training of animals.

• Qualification level: 4 ; Equivalent to higher national certificate (HNC).
• Typical duration: 18 months
• Apprenticeship category: Agriculture, environmental and animal care
• Maximum funding: £7,000 ; Maximum amount government will fund ; for apprenticeship training.
• Also known as:
  • Animal behaviour trainers
  • Animal obedience trainers
  • Assistance animal trainers
  • Audio-visual industry animal trainers
  • Commercial animal trainers
  • Service animal trainers
  • Zoo & safari park trainers
• Skills:
  Skills an apprentice will learn

  • Continually assess, maintain and evaluate a safe working environment following relevant legislation, work place policies and procedures
  • Continually assess, maintain and evaluate the 5 welfare needs of animals whilst under your care
  • Be responsible for minimising risks and dealing with potential incidents and emergencies including implementing appropriate controls
  • Assess the risk of disease transmission and implement appropriate bio-security controls
  • Carry out a dynamic risk assessment relating to the training environment and the animals’ welfare and act appropriately
  • Approach all interactions with the animals in a manner that reinforces desirable behavioural patterns and avoids creating undesirable behavioural patterns
  • Analyse data and review and implement plans accordingly and update records
  • Prepare the animal, resources and environment for the training session to aid the achievement of agreed learning outcomes
  • Obtain and interpret relevant information regarding the animals from the appropriate sources, i.e. life history, physical capabilities
  • Assess the potential animal welfare consequences, of the training method and equipment such as physical and mental harm
  • Create and implement a training plan based upon the individual animal with realistic targets for a desired behaviour based upon the principles of learning and the intended outcomes of the training
  • Assess the progress of the training session against the plan at regular intervals and take action to resolve situations where training activities, methods or resources are found to be inappropriate
  • Communicate training plans effectively to others, such as colleagues and clients recognising individual learning styles and relevant learning theories of delivery and support them to apply these plans in practice
  • Solve problems using independent critical thinking to modify the training plan as needed to take into account the response of the animals and other factors
  • Balance the conflicting demands of animal welfare, societal expectations and the safety of the public in deciding the future of animals under their care
  • Make autonomous decisions that may impact on the future of the animal

Full information on Animal trainer (level 4) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

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