Author Archives: Amber Tennant

Careers With Animals Day Tingley Leeds 2019

Interested in working with animals? Come along to Careers With Animals Day this October!

If you’re interested in working with animals, come along to our next Careers With Animals Day taking place at our centre in Tingley on Saturday 5th October!

Whether you’re at school and looking at your options, employed in a different field and looking for a career change, or unemployed and looking at how you can get back into work; Careers With Animals Day will give you the chance to meet with relevant people and organisations within the animal care industry, gain advice and ask questions.

The event is set to be jam packed full of useful career talks from experts in the animal care industry. What’s more – there will also be a range of national and local exhibitors available to discuss what it’s really like to work in industry, and how you can start to turn your dreams of working with animals into a reality.

Exhibitors attending this year’s event include Cats Protection, Northern Racing College, Dogs Trust, RSPCA, Medivet, PDSA, Jerry Green Dog Rescue, The Royal Veterinary College – and many more! See a full list of exhibitors

The event is taking place at The College of Animal Welfare in Tingley (WF3 1DR) on Saturday 5th October. Doors are open from 10am until 3pm and entry is completely free of charge. For more information please visit http://bit.ly/2K8QW9l or call us on 01480 422060.

Careers With Animals Day Leeds 2018

Veterinary nursing CPD training dogs

CAW ALUMNI ONLY: Gain massive discounts on selected CPD courses this Autumn!

As an alumni of The College of Animal Welfare, special discounted rates are available on a number of our upcoming CPD courses this Autumn:

How to Deal with the Poisoned Patient (Huntingdon, Saturday 14th September 2019, 10am-1pm): £145 £50!

Toxicological emergencies are very common within veterinary practice. This course will look at dealing with these cases; from the first stage of advice during the initial telephone call to the practice, through to the treatment of the most commonly seen poisonings.

Anaesthesia Update for Veterinary Nurses with Chris Miller (Edinburgh, Friday 1st November 2019, 10am-4pm): £265 £75!

This one day course will refresh and update you on the techniques, equipment and drugs available to the modern veterinary surgery. Find out about the newest ways to give your patients the best in anaesthetic practice.

To access these special alumni rates, simply call us directly on 01480 422060 to book!*

*alumni status will be confirmed on booking

Careers With Animals Day Leeds 2018

Careers With Animals Day to provide a hub of careers advice to veterinary nurses

For veterinary nurses looking to learn more about their career options, The College of Animal Welfare’s (CAW) annual Careers With Animals Day is the perfect place to start!

Running from the College’s education and training centre in Tingley on Saturday 5 October, veterinary nurses will be able to chat to industry experts about the opportunities open to them in industry – from veterinary team management and research, to teaching and rehabilitation.

A great line up of local and national exhibitors will be on hand to help vet nurses gain an insight into their respective specialisms, and work out whether it might be for them. Exhibitors include Torrington Orthopaedics, Calder Vets, Paragon Veterinary Referrals, Abbey House Veterinary Hospital, Cloud 9 Veterinary Physiotherapy, The Association of Zoo and Exotic Veterinary Nurses (AZEVN), Hydro Paws – and many more.

In addition, visitors can also benefit from a busy schedule of career talks running throughout the day, covering careers ranging from animal law to exotics veterinary nursing. What’s more – entry is completely free of charge!

Whether you’re a newly qualified veterinary nurse looking for your first job in industry, an experienced veterinary nurse looking to take your career to the next level, or currently unemployed and looking to get back into the industry – everyone is welcome.

The event will be held at The College of Animal Welfare in Tingley (WF3 1DR) on Saturday 5 October. Doors are open from 10am until 3pm and entry is completely free of charge. For more information please visit www.careerswithanimals.co.uk or call 01480 422060.

VCA Apprenticeship

Grow a loyal veterinary care support professional that meets the needs of your practice!

If you’re looking to recruit a veterinary care apprentice, or want to train up an existing member of your veterinary care team, then look no further than our Level 2 Apprenticeship in Veterinary Care Support!

This apprenticeship covers the key skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to ensure staff members maintain safe working practices and take responsibility for themselves, others and the animals in their care – coming out at the end of the programme fully equipped to thrive in their role!

Quick facts about the programme:

  • Distance learning: no college attendance required, start at any time
  • Typical duration: 12-18 months
  • 20% of time spent studying off the job
  • Cost effective apprenticeship training, fees as little as £250 for small businesses

Apprenticeships are an ideal way to increase productivity, improve performance and build a committed and skilled workforce in your practice. What’s more – apprenticeships are a cost effective way to train new or existing members of staff, as employers only pay 5% towards apprenticeship training fees!

Find out more about the Veterinary Care Support: Level 2 Apprenticeship 

If you would like to discuss apprenticeship training in further detail please do not hesitate to contact us at admin@caw.ac.uk or call us on 01480 422060.

CAW moves to new North London Centre

We are delighted to announce we are moving from our longstanding Boltons Park Farm home in Potters Bar, to North London Business Park in New Southgate.

The Potters Bar centre was originally opened over 20 years ago but with the increased demand for veterinary nursing training we have outgrown the centre and are moving to larger premises in North London. The new site is set within nearly 40 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds with an ornamental lake and offers on-site facilities including two cafes, a private gym and hairdressers.

The move will create further opportunities for expansion, with plans already underway to launch CAW Business School programmes in leadership and management and accounting at the centre. A new dog grooming school will be ready by the end of the year to add to the existing schools in Huntingdon and Leeds.

All CAW VN students and training practices have been notified and applications to start veterinary nursing training this September at the North London centre are now open.

Three drop in open days have been organised on 20th, 21st and 22nd August (2pm – 7pm) to provide the opportunity for those interested to come and view the new centre. All are welcome. To find out more about the new location on our website or call 01480 422060.

Masquerade Ball for Get Jo Walking Rehabilitation Fund Advertisement

Masquerade Ball – Friday 1st November

The College of Animal Welfare cordially invites you to attend a Masquerade Ball in Peterborough on Friday 1st November, in aid of the Get Jo Walking Rehabilitation Fund.

This black-tie ball promises to be a fabulous evening of sophistication, glamour and entertainment with a welcome drinks reception, delicious three-course dinner, live band and DJ, charity auction and raffle.

Key details:

  • Date: Friday 1st November 2019
  • Time: Doors open 6.30pm, dinner at 7.30pm, carriages at 1am
  • Location: The Cambridge Suite, East of England Arena and Events Centre, The East of England Showground, Peterborough
  • Dress code: Formal evening attire (masquerade theme)
  • Ticket price (individual): £65
  • Ticket price (group bookings of 10): £600

Local accommodation at the Marriott has been arranged at a special discounted rate. Click here for more info

Find out more about the Masquerade Ball and book your ticket

About the Get Jo Walking Rehabilitation Fund:

get jo walking rehabilitation fund fundraising page image

Jo is currently trying to rebuild her life after suffering a spinal infarction (more commonly known as a spinal stroke), which has left her paralysed from the waist down. Jo hopes to raise significant funds to continue and build upon her specialised neurological rehabilitation at Neurokinex in Gatwick, which is part of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Here she has access to the latest global breakthroughs in neuroscience including the Xcite Wide Pulse Stimulation system which aims to reawaken pathways between muscle and brain, and a full bodyweight assisted gait Locomotor Training system, which essentially reminds the body how to walk. Read more and make a donation 

5 ways to fund your veterinary nurse training

If you’re interested in studying veterinary nursing with us, you may have asked yourself a very common question that many people ask when looking into further education: how am I going to finance my veterinary nurse training?

The good news is that there are lots of payment methods available to you! To help you decide what method is best for your circumstances, take a look at some of your payment options for our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing…

1. Pay in full or annually

Paying the veterinary nursing course fee in full before the start of the course, if you are able to do so, is the most simple and straightforward way to pay. Alternatively, you can pay for your course annually.

2. Apprenticeships

If you are employed in a veterinary practice, you may be eligible to undertake the diploma course as part of an apprenticeship, in which case your employer would be required to pay your course fees. Many employers will support their staff with apprenticeship training if they believe the knowledge and skills you will gain will be of benefit to their organisation, so it is worth a chat to see if this possible.

3. Advanced Learner Loan

If you are 19 years of age or over, living in England and planning to undertake the a level 3 veterinary nursing diploma course, you could qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan to help contribute to the cost of your studies.

With the Advanced Learner Loan, there’s no credit check, your household income isn’t taken into account and you won’t have to pay anything back until you earn over £25,000 a year. Once you start earning over £25,000 a year, you will pay back 9% of your income each month. So for example if you earned £27,000 a year you would pay back £15 a month.

Please be aware the maximum amount you can receive from the Advanced Learner Loan for the Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing is £7,172 (May 2024). This means there will be an outstanding balance left to pay. Therefore it is worth exploring other payment options to cover the outstanding balance. Visit our website for more information.

Find out more about the Advanced Learner Loan.

4. Loans2Learn

The CAW Loans2Learn scheme is a personal loan that can help you to spread the cost of your course into manageable payments. The loan can be used to fully or partially cover your course fees (but does not cover any awarding body fees, such as enrolment and examination fees). More information can be found here.

If you’re interested in training as a veterinary nurse, but are still unsure about how you would fund your studies, please do not hesitate to contact us at admin@caw.ac.uk or call us on 01480 422060 to discuss your options in further detail, as there may be other options available or a method you may not have considered.

5. Student finance for undergraduates

If you’re studying a veterinary nursing degree, you may be eligible to apply for a government backed student loan to cover the cost of your tuition during your studies. This loan means that you will not have to pay fees upfront yourself and instead can repay the cost of your degree once you have graduated and are earning over a certain amount. Read more about student finance for undergraduates here.

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School of Veterinary Studies

Veterinary Practice Work Experience

Tips and Advice for Gaining Work Experience in a Veterinary Practice

Veterinary nursing is a popular profession and entry onto our training programmes is often very competitive, therefore work experience opportunities for aspiring student veterinary nurses can sometimes be hard to come by…

If you’re struggling to gain the experience needed to apply for the course, don’t give up! Take a look at our tips and advice about how to gain work experience in a veterinary practice:

Check local newspapers and online job boards

Job boards such as the CAW jobs board, Vet Times Jobs or Animal Jobs Direct list advertisements from veterinary practices for veterinary care assistants (undertaking the VCA course could be an alternative way for you to qualify for veterinary nurse training), animal nursing assistants or student veterinary nurses (SVNs)

Follow local veterinary colleges and veterinary practices on social media

Many training providers and veterinary practices will post their latest vacancies for student veterinary nurses on their social media pages, so it’s worth following those pages to ensure you are the first to see any new opportunities. You can follow us on social media here: [ss_social_follow networks=”facebook;twitter;instagram;pinterest”]

Check out your local veterinary practices’ websites

Many practices have their own vacancy page or further information about placement opportunities on their website, which can help you learn more about what they’re looking for. This way, you’ll also read more about who the practice is and what they do. Find a veterinary practice near you

Contact your local veterinary practices directly

By contacting practices to introduce yourself and enquire about work placements/employment directly, you are putting a face to your name and showing commitment and enthusiasm! You can drop them an email, give them a call or even stop by the practice to meet staff members in person. Even if they are unable to offer you a placement at that moment, they may be able to hold your details ready for future opportunities, or introduce you to other members of the profession who can help you gain a placement. Find a veterinary practice near you

Be aware that veterinary practices are often very busy, so don’t be disheartened if you aren’t able to speak to someone straight away. Practices are particularly busy at peak times such as Mondays and Fridays, so it’s worth trying to contact them mid-week.

Get more advice about gaining work experience in a veterinary practice…

L2 Certificate for Veterinary Receptionists promotional advertisement

Boost your receptionist skills in a veterinary practice setting…

If you’re working as a receptionist in a veterinary practice, our Level 2 Certificate for Veterinary Receptionists could be the perfect way for you to brush up on your professional knowledge and gain formal recognition of your expertise.

This online, distance learning course can be started at any time and is tailored to receptionists working in a veterinary environment. The course covers the key skills needed to provide an effective front-of-house service to veterinary clients, including: maintenance of the reception area, essentials of veterinary terminology, assisting with the supply of veterinary products – and much more!

L2 Certificate for Veterinary Receptionists course modules

Online learning…

Online learning means you can study this qualification from anywhere in the UK or overseas, at a time and pace that is convenient to you!
Flexible payment options…

We offer the opportunity for learners or employers to spread out the costs of learning into manageable monthly payments and, depending on your individual circumstances, advanced learner loans may also be available.

Find out more about the Level 2 Certificate for Veterinary Receptionists 

New veterinary nursing training centre in Wigan

Veterinary nurse training to continue in Wigan

ProCo NW, are no longer offering Veterinary Nursing training and therefore we have been able to add the Wigan centre to our current four centres in Edinburgh, Leeds, Huntingdon and Hertfordshire.

Here at The College of Animal Welfare we are really pleased to be able to support ProCo’s veterinary nursing students with continuing their training and we will now be responsible for all student veterinary nurses and training practices previously associated to ProCo. All affected students and training practices have been notified.

Looking to the future, we are pleased to announce that applications are now open for our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Small Animal Pathway) programme starting from Wigan this September.   

As the largest provider of veterinary nurse training in the UK, studying with us offers the opportunity to train within a like-minded community who all share a common passion for animals and enthusiasm for an exciting and rewarding profession.

The course is open to those who wish to undertake the Diploma as a standalone qualification or to train as an apprentice using the new Apprenticeship Standard in Veterinary Nursing. The VN course will run on a day release basis, with attendance for those starting in September taking place on Wednesdays. Places are limited, therefore we would encourage prospective students or apprentices to apply as soon as possible.

For more information visit our website or call 01942 932585.