This page is updated when information changes, but it's always best to talk to your training provider to confirm course details before you enrol.
Overview
This qualification describes the skills and knowledge required to work in a broad range of roles in animal care facilities and services, includingboarding/day care, breeding, shelters/holding centres, pet grooming, pet sitting and other animal businesses.
Individuals in these rolesperform a range of animal care tasks under broad direction which involve discretion and judgement in handling animals, selecting and operating tools and equipment, coordinating resources and problem solving. They are required to take responsibility for their own work including, carrying out assigned tasks, compliance with animal welfare, organising processes, solving problems and working to schedules.
The qualification allows for specialisation in:
- Animal Care
- Pet Grooming
- Customer Service.
This qualification is suitable to be undertaken as an apprenticeship or traineeship pathway.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this qualification at the time of publication.
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Financial help
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Government funding is available for this course. Check your eligibility for:
*To be eligible for this funding, you have to do a traineeship.
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Cost
Course costs can vary by provider and location. Ask your training provider for a cost estimate.
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VET Student Loans are not available
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You may need to pay for equipment or materials.
To see how government funding could help to reduce the cost of your course, check your eligibility for funding.
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On-the-job training
- Completing this course through a traineeship can help you to learn the skills you need.
These traineeships are available:
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Entry requirements
This course doesn't have any entry requirements. It could be a good starting point for your career.
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Duration
You complete this course when you’ve learned the skills, not after a set amount of time. The times shown are estimates.
- Through traineeship:
2 years - Qualification only:
1–2 years
- Through traineeship:
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Delivery options
You may be able to access this training in these ways:
Course content
This course is made up of units.
All courses have core units—these are mandatory for completing the course. Most courses also have elective units, which you can choose from to suit your needs and interests. Not all training providers offer every elective, so check with your provider to find out which electives they can offer you.
For more information about course content, talk to your training provider or visit the National Training Register.
| Unit | Unit type |
|---|---|
| Assess the welfare status of an animal | Core |
| Communicate effectively with clients and team members | Core |
| Comply with infection control policies and procedures in animal care work | Core |
| Contribute to workplace health and safety processes | Core |
| Identify behaviours and interact safely with animals | Core |
| Promote positive wellbeing in self and others in animal care workplaces | Core |
| Provide basic animal first aid | Core |
| Address compliance requirements for new business ventures | Elective |
| Balance and secure point-of-sale terminal | Elective |
| Bath, dry and brush domestic dogs | Elective |
| Care for young animals | Elective |
| Carry out casualty and post-rescue management of animals | Elective |
| Carry out simple breeding procedures | Elective |
| Communicate with companion animal owners about incident management processes | Elective |
| Condition animal behaviour | Elective |
| Contribute to continuous improvement | Elective |
| Coordinate visual merchandising activities | Elective |
| Deliver and monitor a service to customers | Elective |
| Enhance companion animal coat and skin condition | Elective |
| Follow point-of-sale procedures | Elective |
| Groom dogs to meet breed style and coat requirements | Elective |
| Identify animal anatomy and physiology for animal care work | Elective |
| Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices | Elective |
| Implement customer service strategies | Elective |
| Maintain and monitor animal health and wellbeing | Elective |
| Maintain aquariums and/or aquascapes and aquatic animals | Elective |
| Maintain financial records | Elective |
| Manage finances for new business ventures | Elective |
| Monitor and maintain dog health in the community | Elective |
| Organise workplace information | Elective |
| Participate in companion animal rescue | Elective |
| Perform companion animal rescue | Elective |
| Perform grooms on cross breed dogs | Elective |
| Produce visual merchandise displays | Elective |
| Promote environmental health and safety for companion animals in remote communities | Elective |
| Provide advice on aquatic animal selection and general care | Elective |
| Provide advice on companion animal selection and general care | Elective |
| Provide enrichment for animals | Elective |
| Provide First Aid | Elective |
| Provide general care of amphibians | Elective |
| Provide general care of birds | Elective |
| Provide general care of common native mammals | Elective |
| Provide general care of domestic cats | Elective |
| Provide general care of domestic dogs | Elective |
| Provide general care of fish | Elective |
| Provide general care of invertebrates | Elective |
| Provide general care of mammals | Elective |
| Provide general care of non-venomous reptiles | Elective |
| Provide general care of rodents or rabbits | Elective |
| Provide nutritional requirements for animals | Elective |
| Provide reception services for an animal care facility | Elective |
| Provide sanitary and hygiene grooms for companion animals | Elective |
| Receive and handle retail stock | Elective |
| Source and provide information for animal care needs | Elective |
| Support veterinary activities in remote communities | Elective |
| Walk and exercise dogs | Elective |
| Work in a team | Elective |
Job prospects
The Certificate III in Animal Care Services sets you up for roles like these, but the skills you learn could take you even further.
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Pet Groomer
ANZSCO 361113
Pet Groomers wash, dry, brush, comb, cut and style pets' coats, clip their nails and clean their ears.
Recommended education level:
Certificate II or III -
Other Animal Attendant and Trainer
ANZSCO 361199
Other Animal Attendants and Trainers includes jobs like Crutching Contractor, and Muleser.
Recommended education level:
Certificate II or III -
Veterinary Nurse
ANZSCO 361311
Veterinary Nurses care for animals under treatment and in temporary residence at veterinary facilities and assist Veterinarians to perform procedures and operations.
Recommended education level:
Certificate III or IV -
Sales Assistant (General)
ANZSCO 621111
Assist customers to purchase goods or services and in a retail or wholesale environment.
Recommended education level:
Certificate I or secondary education
Training providers delivering Certificate III in Animal Care Services
It's a good idea to research multiple training providers to make sure you're getting the right training for you.
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TAFE QUEENSLAND (RTO code 0275)
Government funding
- Skills Assure Supplier
Contact this provider
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CQUniversity Australia (RTO code 40939)
Government funding
- Skills Assure Supplier
Contact this provider
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Dog Trainer Academy (RTO code 41462)
Government funding
- Skills Assure Supplier
Contact this provider
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Skills Generation (RTO code 41008)
Government funding
- Skills Assure Supplier
Contact this provider
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TAFE NSW (RTO code 90003)
Government funding
- Skills Assure Supplier
Contact this provider
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UQ SKILLS (RTO code 1511)
Government funding
- Skills Assure Supplier
Contact this provider
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Alffie (RTO code 41206)
Contact this provider
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Animals on Course Pty Ltd as Trustee for Animals on Course Unit Trust (RTO code 40688)
Contact this provider
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Applied Vocational Training (RTO code 5273)
Contact this provider
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Australian Animal Care Institute Pty Ltd (RTO code 45823)
Contact this provider
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Australian College Of International Studies (RTO code 45515)
Contact this provider
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AUSTRALIA'S TEACHING ZOO (RTO code 46432)
Contact this provider
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Greenwood Academy Animal care and Agriculture (RTO code 45916)
Contact this provider
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Halo Nation Training Pty Ltd (RTO code 32485)
Contact this provider
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Heiniger Academy (RTO code 40888)
Contact this provider
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NATIONAL TRAINING MASTERS (RTO code 91284)
Contact this provider
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Tactic Learning (RTO code 52806)
Contact this provider
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The Animal Academy Pty Ltd (RTO code 45907)
Contact this provider
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The Pet Industry College (RTO code 70236)
Contact this provider
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TRAINING EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICE INC. (RTO code 1826)
Contact this provider
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YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING (RTO code 31892)
Contact this provider
How to enrol in this course
To enrol, choose a training provider that offers this course. You can see provider details on this page.
When you find one that you think suits you, visit their website or contact them directly to confirm details like start dates, fees, funding, delivery locations and delivery options.
The provider will guide you through the enrolment process.
How do apprenticeships and traineeships work?
Apprenticeships and traineeships let you combine hands-on work experience with training. You’ll gain job-ready skills and earn an income while you complete a qualification.
As an apprentice or a trainee, you work with an employer while completing your training. Most of your time is spent learning on the job, with some classroom or online training to support the skills you're developing in the workplace.
For some jobs, you may need to do an apprenticeship or traineeship before you are allowed to work as a qualified tradesperson. For example, you need to do an apprenticeship if you want to work as a licensed electrician.
Find out more about apprenticeships and traineeships.
See more information about the apprenticeship or traineeship you’re interested in pursuing on the Queensland Training Information Service.
How long will this course take?
This course is competency-based training, which means you progress as you demonstrate your skills and knowledge, rather than in a set amount of time.
The duration shown here is an estimate for full-time study based on how long most people take to complete the course. You may finish earlier than other people, or it may take you a bit longer.
If you’ve already completed training or have worked in a relevant area, you could get credits or recognition of prior learning. This can reduce the training you need to complete a qualification, which could reduce the time needed for training.
Duration for apprenticeships and traineeships
Apprenticeships and traineeships take longer than doing the qualification on its own, but you learn valuable hands-on skills.
For some jobs, you may need to do an apprenticeship or traineeship before you are allowed to work as a qualified tradesperson. For example, you need to do an apprenticeship if you want to work as a licensed electrician.
Learn about how courses are delivered
Different courses have different delivery options. Consider your needs when you’re researching courses. Some courses may be delivered entirely online or partially online. Others may be delivered in a classroom.
Some courses, like those delivered through apprenticeships and traineeships, are mostly based in the workplace but with some classroom or online study.
If a certain type of delivery is important to you, talk to your provider before you enrol to make sure they offer that delivery option.
How to reduce the cost of your course
There are lots of ways you can reduce the cost of your course.
- The government could partly or fully cover the cost of your course. See information about financial help and government funding on this page.
- The government also offers funding for some costs related to your course.
- If you’ve already completed training or have worked in a relevant area, you could get a cost credit or recognition of prior learning. This can reduce the training you need to complete a qualification, which could reduce the cost.
Learn about financial help and government funding
The main cost of training is usually the course fees, which vary depending on things like which course and training provider you choose.
You may be able to get your training for free or at a reduced cost, or you could get help with paying for training-related costs. You can also pay for some courses with a VET Student Loan.
Find out more about getting help paying for your training or check if you're eligible.
What are entry requirements?
Some courses have conditions you need to meet before you can enrol in the course. They help make sure you have the right background or skills for the training.
Entry requirements might include a certain education level, skills or knowledge, work status, or experience.