Animal Care and Welfare Manager Apprentice
RNN Group (Dearne Valley College)
Rotherham (S63 7EW)
Closes in 24 days (Monday 12 January 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 19 December 2025
Contents
Summary
We are a small, hands-on and extremely hard-working team, striving for excellence at all times and proving industry role models to the students at Dearne Valley College.
The apprentice's main role will be to assist the animal care instructors and lecturers with the efficient and safe running of the animal unit.
- Wage
-
£15,103 a year
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
26 days annual leave plus statutory bank holidays and up to 7 additional closure days.
- Training course
- Animal care and welfare manager (level 3)
- Hours
-
You must be able to work 5 days out of 7 on a rota basis, 8.30am to 5.00pm with a 45-minute lunch break, and two 10-minute breaks totalling 37 hours a week. This is to include some weekend and bank holiday work where appropriate and required.
37 hours a week
- Start date
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Monday 2 February 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 6 months
- Positions available
-
1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
You will work as part of the Animal Care and Land-based Department, being a vital part of this team.
You will report to the Animal Care Unit Manager, and work closely with Technicians, Assessor/Trainers, Lecturers, Curriculum Team Leader and the Curriculum Manager, as well as with other stakeholders such as IT, Finance, Admin and Estates.
As part of your role, you will help care for a wide range of animals from small mammals, farm livestock and rodents, to aquatics, exotics and zoo species. You will be required to uphold the highest welfare standards and to ensure records are kept up to date, where
appropriate.
You will be required to work with all members in the organisation, from those within the direct animal care team to estates, Admin and IT.
You may assist with veterinary visits where appropriate. As part of the apprenticeship, you will complete an online portfolio to undertake a range of relevant Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours that form part of the qualification standards. You will work with the animal care Assessor/Trainer to assist you with the written part of your qualification.
We are a driven team who have developed the centre from scratch and are all extremely proud of what we have achieved. Therefore, the candidate will have to be happy to work within a tenacious and driven team. The students themselves provide many challenges and have to be constantly pushed to reach industry standards and speed. Therefore, it is important for our apprentice to be comfortable helping the students do to this, which could mean repeating the same rule or expectation day in and out, developing the skill to have authority with approachability.
We would expect our apprentice to have an understanding of the need to have a professional distance from the Dearne Valley College students and an awareness of safeguarding responsibilities. They would also be expected to be confident enough to enforce the animal unit and college rules and ensure that students worked in a safe and
risk-free environment.
The information given below is intended to provide an understanding and appreciation of the workload of the job and its role within the College. This role profile outlines the main duties and responsibilities in general terms only and is not intended to be prescriptive.
- An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.
- Adopt a professional and industry correct manner and create an environment where the welfare of the animals is the primary concern.
- Assist the unit animal care Assessor/Trainers with the efficient and safe running of the animal unit.
- Undertake all aspects of animal care duties, including cleaning out, feeding, watering and all animal care duties.
- Help to oversee students, our volunteers and work experience students.
- Be confident in enforcing the animal unit and college rules and ensure that students work in a safe and risk-free environment.
- Carry out duties as a First Aider as and when required.
Where you'll work
Manvers Park
Wath-Upon-Dearne
Rotherham
S63 7EW
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
DCG
Training course
Animal care and welfare manager (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Provide care for animals to meet their welfare needs and in accordance with company policy, legal and regulatory obligations.
- Monitor and oversee animal care ensuring the five welfare needs are met and in accordance with company policy, legislation and regulations.
- Evaluate animal behavioural characteristics in order to establish animal care requirements.
- Assess and evaluate animal health using the least invasive methods and use this to inform the care plan.
- Deliver medical and preventative treatments in accordance with company policies and following veterinary advice.
- Handle and move animals using the least invasive, minimally aversive methods suitable for the situation.
- Assess animal weight and carry out body condition scoring.
- Produce care plans to meet the welfare needs of the animal.
- Implement animal socialisation strategies to ensure animal health and welfare is maintained.
- Select sustainable accommodation solutions that ensure the welfare, safety and security of animals.
- Manage biosecurity risks by ensuring disinfecting, cleaning and waste disposal in line with company procedures and legislation.
- Complete health and safety risk assessments.
- Monitor compliance with risk assessments and provide feedback to support the development of health and safety policies.
- Resolve customer complaints.
- Collaborate with colleagues, supply chains and customers.
- Supervise the day to day running of the business (including the allocation of resources, ordering stock and scheduling workload).
- Keep up to date with advances in animal care working practices and technologies and identify opportunities for these to be applied.
- Monitor the health and safety of animals and people in accordance with company policies and procedures.
- Support and mentor colleagues and provide constructive feedback.
- Seek feedback and identify personal development needs. Undertake and apply learning from relevant continual professional development.
- Provide operational information to inform team goals and objective setting.
- Monitor progress towards the achievement of team goals and objectives.
- Assimilate information to make changes to the animal care provision.
- Provide care for animals to meet their welfare needs and in accordance with company policy, legal and regulatory obligations.
- Monitor and oversee animal care ensuring the five welfare needs are met and in accordance with company policy, legislation and regulations.
- Evaluate animal behavioural characteristics in order to establish animal care requirements.
- Assess and evaluate animal health using the least invasive methods and use this to inform the care plan.
- Deliver medical and preventative treatments in accordance with company policies and following veterinary advice.
- Handle and move animals using the least invasive, minimally aversive methods suitable for the situation.
- Assess animal weight and carry out body condition scoring.
- Produce care plans to meet the welfare needs of the animal.
- Implement animal socialisation strategies to ensure animal health and welfare is maintained.
- Select sustainable accommodation solutions that ensure the welfare, safety and security of animals.
- Manage biosecurity risks by ensuring disinfecting, cleaning and waste disposal in line with company procedures and legislation.
- Complete health and safety risk assessments.
- Monitor compliance with risk assessments and provide feedback to support the development of health and safety policies.
- Resolve customer complaints.
- Collaborate with colleagues, supply chains and customers.
- Supervise the day to day running of the business (including the allocation of resources, ordering stock and scheduling workload).
- Keep up to date with advances in animal care working practices and technologies and identify opportunities for these to be applied.
- Monitor the health and safety of animals and people in accordance with company policies and procedures.
- Support and mentor colleagues and provide constructive feedback.
- Seek feedback and identify personal development needs. Undertake and apply learning from relevant continual professional development.
- Provide operational information to inform team goals and objective setting.
- Monitor progress towards the achievement of team goals and objectives.
- Assimilate information to make changes to the animal care provision.
Training schedule
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 3/D or above or equivalent)
- Maths (grade 3/D or above or equivalent)
Other in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
- Confidence
- Flexibility
- Knowledge of animals
- Helpful
- Integrity
- Commitment to safeguarding
- Respectful
- Willing to undertake training
Other requirements
Ideally, the candidate will already have a Level 2 qualification in literacy and numeracy, but if not, then we would ensure they were able to complete these as part of their programme of study. They can undertake this internally with the RNN Group. Experience of handling/working with a range of animals and experience in animal care and welfare. The role will involve working outdoors and with animals. PPE will be provided with training. Correct manual handling training will be provided, and equipment to support where any heavy lifting is required. All posts are subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
About this employer
RNN Group is an education and training provider, meeting the needs of thousands of employers, adults and school leavers every year and contributing at the heart of our communities.
The RNN Group includes five campuses of career-focused further and higher education in South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire which includes; Rotherham College, North Notts College, Dearne Valley College, University Centre Rotherham, alongside our partner organisation the National Fluid Power Centre.
We educate school leavers, undergraduates, employees and those re-joining the workforce, with a focus on ensuring learners leave equipped with the necessary skills to join or re-join the workforce.
We work in partnership with schools, employers and local organisations to continually ensure we are leading and delivering on innovation and skills in our communities.
In total, we employ or engage over 800 staff to educate and train over 11,000 people each year, including over 1,000 apprentices.
We work at the centre of our local communities, contributing to civic life and economic renewal. Through events, volunteering and charitable efforts, we reach out to individuals and groups.
From our heartlands in the Sheffield City Region and the East Midlands, we help companies succeed and individuals learn their way to career security and personal and professional fulfilment and happiness.
https://www.rnngroup.ac.uk/ (opens in new tab)
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Possible progression into a role as an Animal Care and Land-Based Technician.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
DCG
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000006020.
Apply now
Closes in 24 days (Monday 12 January 2026 at 11:59pm)