Apprentice Keeper
Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo (CH21LH)
Closes in 11 days (Friday 8 May 2026 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 27 April 2026
Contents
Summary
Our Apprentice Keeper’s will play a key role working as part of our professional animal keeping teams, to ensure the highest standards of animal husbandry, welfare and exhibitory are maintained across the zoo.
- Wage
-
£16,640 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
This will rise in year 2 to the national minimum wage for your age.
- Training course
- Keeper and aquarist (level 3)
- Hours
-
10 days in 14 including weekends and bank holidays, 7.00am to 4.00pm (birds) or 8.00am to 5.00pm (all other sections). 1 hour lunch.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 10 August 2026
- Duration
-
2 years
- Positions available
-
10
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
Apprentice Keepers will form part of our animal keeping teams; there are 10 positions across mammals, birds and ectotherms.
Key responsibilities:
- To maintain excellent husbandry, health and welfare for species
- To understand/adhere to risk assessments and safe operating procedures.
- To promote our mission through interactions with our visitors on site.
- To understand all aspects of record keeping/report writing including husbandry, enrichment and diets.
Where you'll work
The North of England Zoological
Society
Cedar House
Chester Zoo
CH21LH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
DCG
Training course
Keeper and aquarist (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Work effectively in a safe and healthy working environment following current/relevant health and safety legislation and work place policies such as working safely with wild/higher risk animals and higher risk environments, working at height, working with chemicals, working with tools, manual handling, risk assessment, fire safety, relevant PPE
- Demonstrate how the 5 welfare needs of an animal can be used as a basis to provide the animal with opportunities to display positive welfare, including providing a suitable environment and diet (including water), housing the animal in appropriate social groupings and protecting it from fear, pain, suffering, injury and disease and providing an environment where normal behaviour can be displayed
- Prioritise more critical and less critical activities and tasks using scheduling techniques that enable them to meet deadlines and allow for unexpected tasks, such as an animal medical emergency, daily animal husbandry, visitor safety and staff absence
- Communicate information clearly and within a timely manner with internal audiences such as colleagues, vets, managers and contractors, concisely, accurately and in ways that promote understanding – verbally as well as in writing (e.g. daily reports, diaries) adjusting and prioritising information and being mindful of the impact
- Communicate effectively with external audiences such as the scientific community, general public/ visitors and media in a range of contexts including presentations, public speaking, visitor engagement, conservation education activities, customer service and delivering keeper experiences in order to educate about animal life histories and conservation issues, promoting awareness of the role of zoos in conservation and encouraging sustainable behaviour change
- Actively listen, process and prioritise information, confirm understanding and react according to level of risk e.g. lost child procedure, animal escape, instruction from senior staff
- Devise and deliver a talk/presentation using a range of appropriate resources such as audio/visual equipment, PowerPoint slides, physical props
- Deal appropriately with difficult issues (e.g. visitor/internal conflicts and complaints) following workplace policies and procedures
- Accurately record, retrieve and monitor information and write reports using a range of systems relevant to zoo/aquarium keeping within your organisation, such as diaries, ZIMS, Tracks, Excel following instruction to retrieve data or update information and follow workplace procedures designed to keep data secure
- Use information from reliable sources using scientific nomenclature of taxa for a variety of purposes such as gathering information to share with the public and/or science community, researching information to underpin enclosure/tank design and husbandry plans including use of recognised assessment tools to identify species or habitat conservation status
- Observe, describe and interpret animal behaviour (innate, learned, abnormal), including species specific behaviours for species in their care, taking response action where appropriate, including reporting to the supervisor or recording in animal records system
- Develop, implement and evaluate (including safety evaluation) appropriate sensory and cognitive enrichment in accordance with enclosure/tank design and species-specific needs e.g. simulating hunting behaviours in big cats, stingrays and sharks
- Identify individual animals through transponders, photos, ear tags, leg bands, individual markings, sex determination
- Create a plan using the principles of population management in line with the organisation collection plan, such as the introductory meeting of a species, taking into consideration individual suitability (e.g. health status, age, social hierarchy, reproductive status), practical set up, potential issues and solutions e.g. introducing a males and females for breeding or forming single sex groups/mixed species
- Interpret diet sheets and safely store, prepare and present diets in a manner which promotes species-specific natural behaviours, also considering individual needs (e.g. geriatric, disabled, etc.)
- Evaluate diets and propose modifications e.g. to minimise the amount of uneaten food and contingent wastage, promote physical and psychological health and welfare meeting nutritional needs
- Correctly follow procedures for waste management and disposal including hazardous materials, biosecurity risks, legally regulated materials
- Identify which equipment, methods of approach, capture, handling, restraint and loading are best for specific situations and species, create plans for and make informed decisions to facilitate this e.g. fish species that are net sensitive or elasmobranchs that are trained to go in to a stretcher.
- Show confidence in assisting with the capture and restraint of wild and high-risk species
- Identify the most appropriate methods of successfully transporting animals, considering: species, level of risk, duration, animal welfare considerations, health and safety, legislation e.g. maintaining the temperature of the water for an overnight transport
- Train animals’ using positive reinforcement-based techniques in various situations (e.g. target training with a single animal) and apply these techniques in the animal’s routine, monitoring and recording the results and giving feedback to the responsible supervisor
- Identify, assess severity of and report potential health issues in animals in a timely manner. Monitor changes in health of animals and report their findings to a supervisor or veterinarian e.g. signs of ill health or injury, behaviour monitoring, body condition scoring, faecal scoring, food intake
- Correctly collect, document and store suitable samples as part of veterinary health monitoring e.g. hair, faeces, urine, gill
- Administer treatment following instruction from a veterinarian/competent staff member (e.g. administration of medication to an individual/group, parasite treatments, nail/hoof trimming) e.g. salt treatment, Aquatet etc.
- Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different enclosure designs from the point of view of each stakeholder group (e.g. animals, keepers, vet team, visitors, educators, researchers) and propose improvements, if required
- Select optimal enclosure substrates and furnishings and maintain them within the enclosure/tank e.g. clean appropriately, monitor condition and replace as appropriate e.g. coral chip and a siphon schedule
- Identify potential and existing physical and bio hazards within an enclosure and associated areas, responding and participating in alterations/solutions where possible, reporting more complex issues to the relevant staff, all within a timely manner
- Use, maintain and store a range of tools correctly, including electrical tools, appropriate to the workplace
- Monitor and take responsibility of the health and safety of the visitors and welfare of the animals in enhanced animal contact situations, especially with higher risk and wild species, such as visitor encounter, keeper for a day experiences, walkthrough enclosures, animal handling sessions, taking action when required to minimise risks and stress
- Comply with and support other staff in complying with emergency protocols e.g., animal escape drills, fire etc.
- Carry out safe housekeeping regimes including the safe use and disposal of products used, cleaning of enclosures/tanks, public areas, Life Support Systems maintenance, and their associated hazards, frequency of cleaning based on situation, species and individual considering factors such as sent marking or removal of body fluids to required standard, according to species specific standard
- Design and implement research projects; including a small number of variables or indicators, using tried and tested research methods e.g. single animal case studies of behaviour challenges
- Analyse results and summarise findings using reporting tools including descriptive statistics, listing methods of dissemination of results including where relevant research might be published and considering the implications of findings for practices within their organisation
- Work effectively in a safe and healthy working environment following current/relevant health and safety legislation and work place policies such as working safely with wild/higher risk animals and higher risk environments, working at height, working with chemicals, working with tools, manual handling, risk assessment, fire safety, relevant PPE
- Demonstrate how the 5 welfare needs of an animal can be used as a basis to provide the animal with opportunities to display positive welfare, including providing a suitable environment and diet (including water), housing the animal in appropriate social groupings and protecting it from fear, pain, suffering, injury and disease and providing an environment where normal behaviour can be displayed
- Prioritise more critical and less critical activities and tasks using scheduling techniques that enable them to meet deadlines and allow for unexpected tasks, such as an animal medical emergency, daily animal husbandry, visitor safety and staff absence
- Communicate information clearly and within a timely manner with internal audiences such as colleagues, vets, managers and contractors, concisely, accurately and in ways that promote understanding – verbally as well as in writing (e.g. daily reports, diaries) adjusting and prioritising information and being mindful of the impact
- Communicate effectively with external audiences such as the scientific community, general public/ visitors and media in a range of contexts including presentations, public speaking, visitor engagement, conservation education activities, customer service and delivering keeper experiences in order to educate about animal life histories and conservation issues, promoting awareness of the role of zoos in conservation and encouraging sustainable behaviour change
- Actively listen, process and prioritise information, confirm understanding and react according to level of risk e.g. lost child procedure, animal escape, instruction from senior staff
- Devise and deliver a talk/presentation using a range of appropriate resources such as audio/visual equipment, PowerPoint slides, physical props
- Deal appropriately with difficult issues (e.g. visitor/internal conflicts and complaints) following workplace policies and procedures
- Accurately record, retrieve and monitor information and write reports using a range of systems relevant to zoo/aquarium keeping within your organisation, such as diaries, ZIMS, Tracks, Excel following instruction to retrieve data or update information and follow workplace procedures designed to keep data secure
- Use information from reliable sources using scientific nomenclature of taxa for a variety of purposes such as gathering information to share with the public and/or science community, researching information to underpin enclosure/tank design and husbandry plans including use of recognised assessment tools to identify species or habitat conservation status
- Observe, describe and interpret animal behaviour (innate, learned, abnormal), including species specific behaviours for species in their care, taking response action where appropriate, including reporting to the supervisor or recording in animal records system
- Develop, implement and evaluate (including safety evaluation) appropriate sensory and cognitive enrichment in accordance with enclosure/tank design and species-specific needs e.g. simulating hunting behaviours in big cats, stingrays and sharks
- Identify individual animals through transponders, photos, ear tags, leg bands, individual markings, sex determination
- Create a plan using the principles of population management in line with the organisation collection plan, such as the introductory meeting of a species, taking into consideration individual suitability (e.g. health status, age, social hierarchy, reproductive status), practical set up, potential issues and solutions e.g. introducing a males and females for breeding or forming single sex groups/mixed species
- Interpret diet sheets and safely store, prepare and present diets in a manner which promotes species-specific natural behaviours, also considering individual needs (e.g. geriatric, disabled, etc.)
- Evaluate diets and propose modifications e.g. to minimise the amount of uneaten food and contingent wastage, promote physical and psychological health and welfare meeting nutritional needs
- Correctly follow procedures for waste management and disposal including hazardous materials, biosecurity risks, legally regulated materials
- Identify which equipment, methods of approach, capture, handling, restraint and loading are best for specific situations and species, create plans for and make informed decisions to facilitate this e.g. fish species that are net sensitive or elasmobranchs that are trained to go in to a stretcher.
- Show confidence in assisting with the capture and restraint of wild and high-risk species
- Identify the most appropriate methods of successfully transporting animals, considering: species, level of risk, duration, animal welfare considerations, health and safety, legislation e.g. maintaining the temperature of the water for an overnight transport
- Train animals’ using positive reinforcement-based techniques in various situations (e.g. target training with a single animal) and apply these techniques in the animal’s routine, monitoring and recording the results and giving feedback to the responsible supervisor
- Identify, assess severity of and report potential health issues in animals in a timely manner. Monitor changes in health of animals and report their findings to a supervisor or veterinarian e.g. signs of ill health or injury, behaviour monitoring, body condition scoring, faecal scoring, food intake
- Correctly collect, document and store suitable samples as part of veterinary health monitoring e.g. hair, faeces, urine, gill
- Administer treatment following instruction from a veterinarian/competent staff member (e.g. administration of medication to an individual/group, parasite treatments, nail/hoof trimming) e.g. salt treatment, Aquatet etc.
- Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different enclosure designs from the point of view of each stakeholder group (e.g. animals, keepers, vet team, visitors, educators, researchers) and propose improvements, if required
- Select optimal enclosure substrates and furnishings and maintain them within the enclosure/tank e.g. clean appropriately, monitor condition and replace as appropriate e.g. coral chip and a siphon schedule
- Identify potential and existing physical and bio hazards within an enclosure and associated areas, responding and participating in alterations/solutions where possible, reporting more complex issues to the relevant staff, all within a timely manner
- Use, maintain and store a range of tools correctly, including electrical tools, appropriate to the workplace
- Monitor and take responsibility of the health and safety of the visitors and welfare of the animals in enhanced animal contact situations, especially with higher risk and wild species, such as visitor encounter, keeper for a day experiences, walkthrough enclosures, animal handling sessions, taking action when required to minimise risks and stress
- Comply with and support other staff in complying with emergency protocols e.g., animal escape drills, fire etc.
- Carry out safe housekeeping regimes including the safe use and disposal of products used, cleaning of enclosures/tanks, public areas, Life Support Systems maintenance, and their associated hazards, frequency of cleaning based on situation, species and individual considering factors such as sent marking or removal of body fluids to required standard, according to species specific standard
- Design and implement research projects; including a small number of variables or indicators, using tried and tested research methods e.g. single animal case studies of behaviour challenges
- Analyse results and summarise findings using reporting tools including descriptive statistics, listing methods of dissemination of results including where relevant research might be published and considering the implications of findings for practices within their organisation
Training schedule
- Level 3 Keeper and Aquarist Apprenticeship Standard qualification
- The training will take place onsite at Chester Zoo, with an Assessor visiting every 6 weeks
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade C/4 or above - Evidence Needed)
- Maths (grade C/4 or above - Evidence Needed)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Presentation skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Time Management
- Willing to learn new skills
- Ability to work under pressure
Other requirements
This is a physical role and the role holder will spend a significant amount of time either outdoors or in temperature controlled environments. The roles will involve a range of manual tasks. No transport or accommodation can be provided by Chester Zoo. If no confirmed GCSE Maths and English added applications will be made unsuccessful regardless of if there is a degree showing, due to entry requirements for Apprenticeship. Any Maths and English qualifications will be asked to provide evidence if shortlisted. We cannot accept predicted Maths and English grades. Achieved qualifications closely related to Keeper and aquarist Level 3 will need to be cross checked for eligibility to ensure new skills and knowledge would be delivered. Please also add detail of any pathways taken within Animal Management qualifications. All animal/zoo related qualifications must be declared, failure to do so could result in your application being withdrawn. If we are interested in taking your application further, you will receive an email from a Derby College email address (apprenticeships@derby-college.ac.uk). Please make sure to check your Inbox as well as your Spam/Junk folders, to avoid missing out on this opportunity. Failure to respond to emails will lead to withdrawal of your application. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early due to the number of applicants so please be sure to apply promptly, previously the vacancy has been closed after 10 days.
About this employer
We are Chester Zoo and we are mission motivated, passionate people, working together to be the best. We opened in 1931 by founder, George Mottershead who wanted to create the first UK zoo without bars. We are home to over 37,000 animals across our 128 acre site and have over 2 million visitors a year. Our mission is to prevent extinction; it’s a bold statement but we are confident that by working together and with our partners we can make a difference to wildlife here in the UK and the world.
After this apprenticeship
- Keeper
- Conservation Education Officer
- Zoo Ranger
- Technical Assistant
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
DCG
apprenticeships@derby-college.ac.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000027962.
Apply now
Closes in 11 days (Friday 8 May 2026 at 11:59pm)