High school students and graduates

Are you a few years out of school or mature aged?

If you’re new to the animal care industry and want to learn more about animals, we would suggest you start with ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care. This is an excellent entry-level course to introduce you to the world of animal care. If you have not studied for some time and/or have only previously completed studies up to year 10 in high school, the Certificate II courses are also an ideal starting point to give you the foundations for further study in this area.

If you are a mature-aged student who has considerable experience working with animals, has completed year 11 studies or higher at high school, and are seeking a general animal care qualification, we would suggest that you begin your studies with ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services (RSPCA) or ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services (Online)

How do the Certificate II and III in Animal Care compare?

The Certificate II and III in Animal Care (Animal Studies) courses are both offered as flexible online learning courses and on-campus/on-site study modes.

Deciding which course is for you depends on your experience and skills. If you already have recent significant experience working or volunteering with animals including animal handling, and have good academic ability we would suggest starting at a Certificate III level. On the other hand, if working with animals and handling animals is completely new to you, we recommend starting at a Certificate II level. 

When it comes to deciding which study mode is for you, this again depends on your location and personal situation.

• The online eLearning option is the most flexible study option for high school leavers and graduates, and requires you to organise your own workplace practical training in an approved animal-related organisation.
• The blended on-campus/on-site options are only available in Perth, WA and offer a combination of on-campus classroom training, onsite practical training in which we organise and supervise your workplace practical training at reputable WA based workplaces as well as home online eLearning.
• If you enrol in our VETDSS High School specific course you will complete all practical training and assessments delivered on-site at Landsdale Farm in Darch and will not require an additional work placement. 

For anyone interested in pursuing a career in veterinary nursing, our animal care (animal studies) qualifications meet the prerequisite for ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. All applicants are subject to the AVT selection process once the prerequisite is met.