This course will give students an entry point into the animal care industry. This course enables students to develop the skills and knowledge required for the care and maintenance of animals including handling, feeding, grooming, health and hygiene practices.

Online studies:

• This new online course provides the flexibility to balance work and education and provides students the ability to learn at their own pace.
• Dynamic and engaging content has been developed by industry leading Trainer & Assessors with extensive experience in animal care and zoo keeping.
• The course is presented in an engaging and easy to navigate learning management system which provides access to content, videos, resources, activities, quizzes, and theory assessments. 
   

Onsite practical assessments:

• Students will be required to complete practical assessments onsite at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in the new Outback Springs precinct.
• There will be a total of four (4) onsite practical assessment days – two (2) x facilitated practical days and two (2) x onsite assessment days. 
  NOTE: These days will not be consecutive and will be scheduled across a two to four month period.
• Facilitated practical days 
  - As a course requirement, all students must be assessed for specific practical requirements. To complete these requirements, it is necessary for students to be observed in a real working environment. A facilitated practical day involves students attending Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and completing these practical requirements under the supervision of a qualified assessor. Morning routines of keeping staff are followed which means students will need to be on site ready for commencement as early as 7.00am (timings to be confirmed when students are enrolled).
  - The two Facilitated Practical days are identical and based on the same schedule of activities, however, students will need to rotate the species of animal they are working with to ensure they fulfil all requirements. The students will then spend three hours in the afternoon with guest services observing and experiencing the customer service units or supporting other duties eg. retail, ticketing, wayfinding, keeper talks. An example of how these days would be planned is below:

• Practical Assessments days (x2)
  -  All scheduled activities and duties completed on the Assessment Days comply with and have been mapped to six (6) units within the Certificate II in Animal Care. 
  - The Practical Assessment days are largely classroom based, include a requirement for simulation and role play and there are also some requirements to complete assessments in groups. 
• The duration of the ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care (Online Self-paced) is 12 months. If there is a need to extend studies beyond the required 12 months to complete this course, there will be an associated charge.

• Students must be a minimum of 16 years of age on commencement of the course.
• Students are expected to attend, in person, all four (4) mandatory practical assessment days at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. These four days are not scheduled on consecutive days.
• Students must be an Australian Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident New Zealand Citizen residing in Australia or hold an acceptable visa (with no study restrictions) and be approved by Taronga Training Institute.
• Students should have a good level of health and fitness to fully participate in the practical assessment days.
• Students should demonstrate good English and communication skills, both written and verbal, and basic numeracy skills and will be required to undertake a Language, Literacy and Numeracy skills test to ensure they have the necessary skills to complete the course requirements.
   

Core Units

• ACMWHS201 Participate in Workplace Health Safety processes
• ACMGEN201 Work in the animal care industry
• BSBCMM211 Apply communication skills
• ACMGEN202 Complete animal care hygiene routines
• ACMGEN203 Feed and water animals
• ACMGEN204 Assist in the health care of animals
• ACMSUS201 Participate in environmentally sustainable work practices

Elective Units

•    ACMGEN309 Provide basic first aid for animals
•    BSBOPS203 Deliver a service to customers
•    ACMGEN205 Source and provide information for animal care needs
•    ACMBEH301 Identify behaviours and interact safety with animals
•    ACMGEN314 Identify animal anatomy and physiology for animal care work

NOTE: All 12 units (7 core and 5 elective) must be completed successfully to gain the qualification of ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care.

Successful completion of ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care prepares students for entry level and support roles in the animal care and management industry, where workers provide care for animals in workplaces such as animal shelters, boarding care facilities, sanctuaries, and veterinary clinics. 
In addition, further study options are available, including:

• Certificate III in Wildlife and Exhibited Animal Care;
• Certificate III in Animal Technology; 
• Certificate III in Companion Animal Services;
• Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing

Please note Taronga Training Institute only offers Certificate III Wildlife and Exhibited Animal Care. The other qualifications listed above can be completed at other registered training organisations.

Please refer to Australian Training Sector website for further details on available courses.
 

The Taronga Training Institute is an equal opportunity RTO and encourages people from diverse backgrounds to apply to study with us. The application process is used to help determine suitability to complete the course in conjunction with the support of Taronga Training Institute staff and trainers.  

The online application process is used to determine suitability within the course. Applicants must ensure time is spent reading the questions and completing the application before submitting. Please note that the application form is not designed to be completed on a mobile device. Please use a laptop or desktop computer when applying.

All applications must be submitted via the online application form.

All applicants must:
•    Read the Course Information above and ensure you can meet the requirements of the course before lodging an application.
•    Read the Taronga Training Institute Online Student Handbook prior to completing an application.
•    Complete ALL questions in the online application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted and cannot progress any further.
•    Read the terms and conditions below before applying - proceed to apply only if you agree and can comply with the conditions.
During the online application process, applicants will be required to provide their Unique Student Identifier (USI).
•    On submission of an application, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address provided within the application. If a confirmation email is not received from Taronga Training Institute within 24 hours, please first check your junk email, before contacting us at tti@zoo.nsw.gov.au 
•    If your application meets the requirements, you will be emailed a Language Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) skills test. Your suitability to the course will then be evaluated and a judgement will be made by Taronga Training Institute staff.
•    If your application is successful, you will be required to accept your position and complete the enrolment requirements within 72 hours. You will be required to pay half of your course fees shortly after your enrolment. This is a full fee paying course. No subsidy or funding is available. 

Important: Acceptance into the course will be based on merit (subject to students meeting minimum entry requirements) and is NOT first in first served.