Reaseheath College in Nantwich is celebrating the successful completion of work by its first cohort of Animal Care and Welfare Assistant apprentices.
The work is delivered in partnership with VetSkill and honours the role veterinary professionals and their support teams play in safeguarding animal health and welfare.
Apprentices at various veterinary practices successfully completed the programme with distinctions.
They demonstrated knowledge, care, and dedication required in today’s animal care professions.
Among the cohort were Josie Robinson, Katie Stratford-Hawkesford, Penny Boyle and Mollie Greatbatch, who all praised the hands-on nature of the apprenticeship route.
“I really enjoyed the apprenticeship because it was practical, and I learnt a lot while working,” said Josie.
“I had excellent support from college and work, which helped me succeed.”
Her Practice Manager Emma West said: “Josie has grown so much during her apprenticeship.
“Being in the workplace allowed her to develop real-life skills and behaviours, while also gaining valuable knowledge through her college training.”
Katie said: “I found it much easier to learn on an apprenticeship as I had the chance to put what I was learning into practice in a real-life workplace.”
Penny added: “It was really helpful to be getting paid while also learning. The support of the team at work and college helped me complete the course.”
Mollie chose the apprenticeship to gain practical experience and now plans to progress onto a Level 3 programme to train as a veterinary nurse.
She said: “I’ve been surrounded by a great team who have supported me, and I now hope to move on to further study.”
Mark Dugmore, Skills Coach at Reaseheath College, said: “It has been fantastic to see our apprentices thrive in both their studies and their workplace environments.
“Their achievements showcase the value of apprenticeships in equipping learners with real-world skills while enabling them to earn qualifications that will shape their future careers.”
Kayleigh Robinson, End-Point Assessment Lead at VetSkill, added: “The feedback received from these apprentices shows how strongly apprenticeships are valued within the veterinary field and are needed as an alternative form of education and training that offers many advantages to other academic routes.
“We wish all the apprentices the best of luck with their future career paths.”
Reaseheath College has been an approved VetSkill centre since 2020 and delivers a range of qualifications to support careers in the veterinary sector.
These include veterinary nursing, veterinary reception, animal first aid, and care support.
The college is also an approved provider for End Point Assessments (EPA) for both Level 2 Animal Care and Welfare Assistant and Level 3 Veterinary Nurse apprenticeships.
Recent Comments