Animal Trainer

You’ll help employ a positive, reward-based training method and practice on an animal trainer apprenticeship course. This involves teaching the animal particular duties as well as more general training.

As an apprentice, you will learn how to interact with animals, develop training strategies to reinforce desirable behaviour while decreasing undesired behaviour, and assess and evaluate training to ensure goals are met and programmes stay appropriate.

This apprenticeship will almost certainly require you to work odd hours in all weather conditions. Therefore, you must be professional in all situations involving people and animals while showing compassion, respect, patience, and tolerance.

As an apprentice, you will most likely work in one of the following fields: zoos and safari parks, disability services, commercial training, the audio-visual industry, animal obedience or animal behaviour.

What you’ll learn

On an animal trainer apprenticeship course, you’ll learn:

• To carry out risk assessments related to the training environment
• How the needs of animals under your duty of care may be assessed and address the signs that indicate problems with animals’ health and welfare and the actions that should be taken
• The suitability, action, welfare and ethical considerations of training aids/equipment and techniques for the species’ and animals’ physical and mental capabilities
• How training will impact animal welfare and how to analyse whether it is in the best interests of the animal involved
• The factors which may affect the progress and success of training, such as exercise, nutrition, life stage
• The importance of routine/preventative health/veterinary care

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises three distinct methods: 

• Project
• Practical Assessment
• Professional Discussion

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 4 Animal Trainer Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.