The ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care (VETDSS) course is designed for years 10 – 12 high school students.
Yes! I am a high school student→
Do you dream of working with animals? Learn the essential knowledge and skills you need for working with farm and exhibited animals!
Study the ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care (Exhibited Animals) and explore the world of animal care at Landsdale Farm in Darch, WA. This course provides the unique opportunity to gain hands-on learning on a working educational and exhibition farm, perfect for individuals with little to no prior experience in the animal care industry or even those that are seeking more knowledge for their own small scale farms.
This course is designed to suit students who aspire to work in animal care facilities such as zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, aquaria, tourism farms, farm stays or other environments where animals are cared for or exhibited.
You maybe eligible for a funded position. Find out how →
Our hands-on training approach will give you real life skills and experience. You’ll attend Landsdale Farm 2 days a week and work hands-on with companion and farm animals, as well as participate in classroom and practical sessions conducted by fully qualified AVT trainers. Your course is designed so you do not have to find an additional work placement position.
This nationally recognised qualification will allow you to meet the prerequisite for the ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or continue further studies in exhibited animals or start your career as an animal attendant or farm hand.
Duration: 15 weeks
Attendance: 2 days a week at Landsdale Farm
Fees: Subsidised fees start from just $796.91*
Prerequisite: No prior qualifications are required
Best suited to: Animal lovers who wish to gain skills and knowledge in a farm or exhibited animal environment. With a focus on understanding enclosure design, standards, welfare and enrichment for different species of animals in addition to the foundations of animal care.
This is an on-site course where you will:
If you are not Perth-based or are unable to attend Landsdale Farm for weekly classes and practical training, we highly recommend our online course option: ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care (Online).
Students must:
Students with eligible credit transfers may apply; however, due to the course delivery format, 100% attendance is required for on-site training days.
You will be required to wear:
Essential Requirements
Throughout this course, you will need to:
Environmental Requirements
In this course, you will:
Assessment Types
You will be assessed on your skills and knowledge in various ways, including:
During our Exhibited Animals course, you’ll become familiar with the fundamental principles of working in the animal care industry. In addition to the topics covered in the Certificate II in Animal Care course, you will be introduced to:
All of the skills and knowledge you will learn in this animal care and animal welfare course can be applied in an animal adoption, shelter or rescue based organisation or across a broad range of animal care facilities in commercial organisations. For more information on careers working with animals read our article Top 6 Animal Care Careers.
AVT animal care graduates from our exhibited animals course, go on to a wide range of roles across the animal care industry.
Students who have completed the Certificate II in Animal Care go on to careers as a:
Graduates from this course work in a range of animal care organisations such as:
Successful completion of this course prepares students for pathways to the following study options:
You will be required to complete the core units of study listed below. Our course materials for each unit are designed to reflect real-world settings in an exhibited animal and farm setting.
This qualification meets the prerequisite for ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Due to high demand, our AVT selection criteria also applies.
AVT is an independent animal care focused Registered Training Organisation (RTO). We do not have third-party arrangements with other training providers to acquire content or distribute qualifications. All course material is written and delivered by our team of qualified educators.
Your course fees will depend on your eligibility for a Jobs and Skills WA based funded position and your concession status. Please see detailed fees and funding information here. All fees are payable via our monthly payment plan.
Our fees include:
Want more info about fees, the deposit or payment plan options?
*Funded places are subject to eligibility and availability. The Student tuition fees are indicative only and are subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. Additional fees may apply such as resource fees and other fees. Full fees apply for participants who do not meet the Jobs and Skills WA Participation – Work Readiness program eligibility criteria.
If you decide to withdraw from study for any reason, refunds are not issued unless you are a Jobs and Skills WA funded student. Please see our policies page for full details.
| Course Dates | |
|---|---|
No future intakes are currently scheduled. Register your details and we’ll let you know if this course becomes available again in the future. | |
This course has limited places. We recommend submitting your application, as early as possible. AVT reserves the right to cancel or make changes to the location and training days for this course (See cancellation policy). For full details of the application process please visit this link.
If you are in Australia on another type of visa, your eligibility to study depends on the specific conditions attached to your visa. AVT is not able to enrol students on a student visa.
Other visas – Some registered training organisations (RTOs), including AVT, may enrol non-resident students who are temporarily visiting or living in Australia on certain visas other than a student visa. See important information about Jobs & Skills WA Funding eligibility including visa eligibility.
Restrictions – Many visas include limits on study or training. Your study and work rights are linked to your visa type.
Your responsibility – You must check your individual visa conditions before applying. Further information is available from the Department of Home Affairs.
Courses shown below are subsidised under the Jobs & Skills WA funding program. Eligibility including visa eligibility, vary by course. Please refer to the links below for details:
ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care – Eligibility details for each stream:
ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services (RSPCA) – Eligibility details >>
ACM40418 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing – Eligibility details >>
Related FAQs:
CRICOS (The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) is the Australian official register of training providers approved to deliver courses to international students on a Student Visa. Any course undertaken by a Student Visa holder must be listed on CRICOS and delivered by a CRICOS-registered provider.
In some cases, a registered training organisation (RTO) may enrol students who are temporarily visiting or living in Australia on other types of visas (not a Student Visa). However, many visas include restrictions on study or training. It is each individual’s responsibility to check their visa conditions to confirm their study and work rights. You can verify these with the Department of Home Affairs.
Related FAQ’s:
Tags: international, overseas, visa, CRICOS
Unfortunately, we cannot assist individuals studying as international students as we do not hold the required CRICOS (The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) registration.
You may find CRICOS registered training institutions in Australia that can offer qualifications to international students. Some TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutions hold CRICOS registration and offer Animal Care and Veterinary Nursing courses.
Related FAQ’s:
Tags: international, overseas, visa, CRICOS
AVT is not able to accept international students wishing to study on-campus in Australia on a Student Visa. To enrol students on a Student Visa, training providers must be registered with CRICOS (The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students). AVT does not hold this registration.
If you wish to study on-campus in Australia with a Student Visa, you will need to apply through a CRICOS-registered provider. Some TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutions are CRICOS-registered and may offer qualifications in Animal Care and Veterinary Nursing.
Related FAQ’s:
Tags: international, overseas, visa, CRICOS
The Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing is a nationally accredited and recognised qualification throughout Australia. However, to our knowledge, there are currently no formal arrangements in place for this qualification to be recognised outside of Australia.
We do know some countries do not have formal qualifications for Veterinary Nursing and the Australian qualification is highly regarded across and often results in employment in these countries. In addition, some countries may consider part or all of Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing as eligible to apply for recognition for prior learning or equivalency to their own qualification. For example, this is the case in the United Kingdom (UK).
Graduates of the Australian Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing who are considering applying for veterinary nursing positions overseas will need to investigate potential pathways for recognition by contacting the relevant registering bodies in the country concerned. AVT is unable to advise on the particular requirements for qualifications in countries other than Australia.
Related FAQ’s:
AVT is not able to accept applications for online courses and qualifications from students who reside outside of Australia.
All AVT qualifications require students to learn and demonstrate knowledge of Australian legislation, regulations and industry standards, as well as apply these in practical settings. Because these requirements differ from those in other countries, we are unable to assess and recognise competence for students living overseas.
Related FAQ’s:
AVT has been delivering Vet Nursing and Animal Care related courses for over 25 years. It's safe to say there are no plumbing or hairdressing courses here!
A recent NCVER VET student outcomes report found 92% of AVT graduates were employed or enrolled in further study after training and 92% of graduates would recommend the training provided by AVT.
Our qualified teaching team have many years of experience as well as extensive backgrounds in the veterinary and animal care industry. They're approachable and dedicated to helping students succeed.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
About Studying Online
About Vet Nursing Pathway
The leader in delivery of Australian Nationally Recognised Qualifications including ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care (formerly Animal Studies), ACM30122 Certificate III in Animal Care Services, ACM40818 Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and ACM40322 Certificate IV in Animal Behaviour and Training.
Applied Vocational Training (AVT) delivers a range of qualifications and short courses for students wishing to pursue a career working with animals.
AVT is a Registered Training Organisation based in Perth, Western Australia, providing on-campus and online courses to students studying throughout Australia. More about us →
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land where our campus is based, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and we commit to walking alongside our indigenous brothers and sisters. We extend that respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in our community.
Applied Vocational Training (AVT) is proudly a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 5273).
