Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu - Adorn the bird with feathers so it can flyWhakataukī/Māori Proverb
Hello, Kia ora, Talofa, Kumusta, Malo’etau lava, Kia Orana.
Nĭ hăo, Fakalofa Atu, Namaste, Bula, Sata srī akāla.
Welcome to the exciting world of animal care! We hope you have a wonderful time studying with NZMA.
This certificate will enable you to start a career in the growing animal care and management industry in New Zealand. Throughout this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills required to provide care for animals in workplaces such as animal shelters, pet boarding facilities, animal daycares, kennels, or catteries, groomers, pet shops and pet retail outlets and will gain an understanding of:
- the key necessities of animal care – from proper feeding and correct hygiene practices to emergency response and providing basic first aid to animals.
- the regulations and codes of working in the animal care industry.
- how to maintain positive interpersonal relationships, demonstrate ethical behaviour and communicate with colleagues.
- an overview of what it means to work in the animal care industry, including recognising the place of the Treaty of Waitangi.
As part of your study, you will have the opportunity to undertake 40 hours of work placement, which allows you to gain hands-on skills to perform routine work activities under supervision and within clearly defined guidelines.
On completion of this course, you will have a strong foundation to commence work in an entry-level or support role capacity at a variety of workplaces within the animal care sector.
| Module Name | Assessment | Learning Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Working in the Animal Care Industry | ANML01A1 | 50 |
| Animal Care and Welfare Regulatory Requirements | ANML02A1 | 100 |
| Animal Husbandry, Behaviour, Handling and Transportation | ANML03A1 | 250 |
| Animal Forms and Functions | ANML04A1 | 150 |
| Animal Health and Treatments | ANML05A1 | 150 |
How will you learn?
Learning hours are asynchronous. This means you complete them in your own time. There is no set class time, and learning takes place at different times for students/ākonga enrolled in the programme. You are encouraged to interact with other students/ākonga through forums and group messaging. Keep in mind that not everyone likes to study when you do, so you may need to wait for a response.
Total learning hours are 700 hours. That is about 35 hours per week of full-time study or 18 hours of part-time study, including self-directed learning and work placement hours.
The learning hours include:
- reading, watching, and completing the activities on the online campus.
- completing assessments.
- self-directed practicals.
Assessments/Aromatawai
A total of 70 credits are awarded for the programme.
There are five assessments to complete, one for each of the five modules that make up this course. Assessments will be awarded an achieved or not-achieved result. All learning outcomes must be met to obtain an achieved result. All assessments must be completed in full, with all answers correct, for an achieved result.
Assessments are recorded as follows:
- Achieved – all work/unit has been achieved to the standards set in the assessment and performance criteria.
- Not Achieved – the student/ākonga has yet to complete the relevant work to be awarded the assessment or unit.
Assessment Submission
Work Experience/Work Placement
The programme requires learners to do a 40–hour work placement in an animal care facility. The animal care facility includes pet stores, animal rescue centres, pet grooming, animal daycare, kennels and catteries, animal breeders, animal training and pet boarding facilities.
To complete the practical side of your assessments, your placement must include access to cats and dogs. You will also need access to one of: rabbits, rodents, or birds, which can be:
- your own animal.
- one you access via friends, family or someone you know.
- one you access via your work placement (if this option is available to you)
You might need to do work placement hours in more than one organisations or animal care facility. For example, you could do your work placement as: 30 hours handling dogs in Animal Shelter A and 10 hours in Cattery B, but it is important that you have a suitable training agreement in place which each location. Please note that it is important that throughout your placement you demonstrate day-to-day care and welfare of animals.
Your placement is an opportunity to practice and apply your skills and knowledge in Animal Care and you are expected to be involved with the day-to-day care and welfare of animals.
We recommend completing modules 1 and 2 before starting work placement. You will need to collect evidence of your completed work placement hours – this can be time sheets or signed declarations from your work placement supervisor.
Work Experience Requirements
Please download the provided Letter of Introduction and carefully review its details. Familiarise yourself with the terms and conditions outlined within the document.
It is very important that prior to commencing any work placement at any establishment, a signed Training Agreement is received by NZMA.
This agreement provides clarity for yourself, the workplace, and NZMA around each party’s roles and responsibilities including health and safety while you are completing your work placement.
Any hours completed prior to the signed Training Agreement being completed and provided to NZMA will not count towards the 40 required hours to complete your programme.
Please follow instructions below to have your Training Agreement signed:
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Provide your chosen workplace/s with the Letter of Introduction linked above.
This letter guides your conversation with the workplace to ensure they are aware of what you will need to do and how they can support you. -
Email support@nzma.ac.nz your work placement details, including name, role and email address for the supervisor who is to sign the form.
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Please include your full name and student ID in the email.
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Our Support team will send you and your employer a PDF version of the training agreement to sign.
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Once completed, you will get an email notification to confirm when the form has been signed by everyone and you can commence your work placement!
Important Note: If your Training Agreement has not been signed prior to the commencement of Module 4, please be aware you may be suspended from your studies until this is received.
Studying at Level 3
Graduates of this qualification will be able to:
- comply with all regulatory requirements and relevant industry codes of practice for animal care and welfare.
- maintain positive interpersonal relationships and ethical behaviour in the provision of animal care.
Graduates of the Companion Animals strand will also be able to:
- apply knowledge of companion animal form and function to identify and respond to individual variations to normal health and behaviour.
- apply knowledge of companion animal health, behaviour, handling, and husbandry to assist with day-to-day care and transportation.
A graduate of a Level 3 certificate is able to:
- demonstrate some operational and theoretical knowledge in a field of work or study.
- select from and apply a range of known solutions to familiar problems.
- apply a range of standard processes relevant to the field of work or study.
- apply a range of communication skills relevant to the role in the field of work or study.
- apply literacy and numeracy skills relevant to the role in the field of work or study.
- work under limited supervision.
- demonstrate major responsibility for own learning and performance.
- adapt their own behaviour when interacting with others.
- contribute to group performance.
We’re here to help
If you're ever unsure about something or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact your tutor. You can send them a message via email or via the 💬 messages feature on the top right corner of the online campus.