relationships education & training housing & shelter health & emotions money jobs get active rights help

Working Abroad Job Vacancies Job Hunting Guide Voluntary Work Working Part-time and Temping Useful Job Hunting Resources Working in Somerset Wages and Employment Rights Kennel and Cattery Workers in Somerset CLCI: WAM CRCI: HC Kennel work differs between kennels. Most kennel workers look after dogs when their owners are on holiday. Others care for animals in quarantine (after the animal has been abroad), work in breeding kennels or look after greyhounds or hunt hounds. Cattery workers mainly look after cats either when owners are away or when the animal is in quarantine. To find out more look under the above CLCI/CRCI headings in your Careers or Connexions library THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT KENNEL AND CATTERY WORKERS IN SOMERSET No more than 200 people do this work in Somerset. Some establishments look after both dogs and cats. Others concentrate on one or the other. Kennels and catteries tend to be based in the countryside or on the edge of towns. This is because they need space and can be noisy places. Somerset has more hunts than most other places so there are opportunities to look after hunt hounds. The county also has several animal rescue centres, each based in the countryside, run by various charities and animal organisations. These tend to employ more people than a kennel or cattery. HOW DO I GET STARTED?   Get work experience when at school to see if it’s the career for you   Part-time jobs are often available for school students   Go to college for an animal care qualification   Start a traineeship – or apprenticeship – when you are 16/17 and go to college as part of your job USEFUL QUALIFICATIONS   Doing as well as you can in GCSEs can help   NVQs in animal care (through an apprenticeship)   BTEC First and BTEC National animal care/management courses (through full-time college) More about qualifications, courses and training can be found in Moving On (published by Connexions Somerset) DO YOU KNOW? If you’re doing well at school – and want to continue studying and aim high – there are all sorts of animal courses at universities and countryside colleges WHAT IS THE PAY LIKE? Around £80 per week (maybe more) if starting as a new employed trainee or apprentice. For older, experienced staff pay is often close to – or around - the minimum Wage. The pay is not high compared to other jobs. FINDING A JOB   Connexions centres   Job centres   Through applying for work apprenticeships   School and college careers notice boards   Speculative letters/visits/emails   Newspaper and industry publications adverts   Adverts displayed at premises and on industry/company websites   Job offer after work experience   Word of mouth   A Guide to Job Hunting gives tips on CVs, interviews and job letters. To view click here OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WORK   You need to have common sense, be hardworking, love animals and really care for their well-being   Duties can include cleaning, bedding, preparing food, feeding, dog walking and checking animals to see they are okay   With experience you might give medication and have more to do with owners and vets   Kennels and catteries are normally in the country so you’ll probably need your own transport or regular lifts   Hours can be long and awkward. Many jobs involve you getting there before 7am.   The work isn’t well paid and you can be outdoors in poor weather   Most kennels and catteries employ no more than five full-time staff (plus some part-timers)   Somerset’s animal rescue centres concentrate on working with ill, injured and abandoned animals WHO DOES THE WORK? Liu (20) lives in Taunton and works in an animal rescue centre in the countryside. After GCSEs Liu went to college to do a BTEC National Diploma in Animal Management. Lots of people wanted her job so she’s really pleased to be doing it even though it’s not quite as glamorous as she first thought. Kev (17) rides his moped everyday to a boarding kennels on the outskirts of Bridgwater. He found the early mornings tough at first but is now getting into the job and finding it interesting and rewarding. In fact he’s hatching a plan to run his own kennels one day. More Info: A-Z Careers Careers information dates rapidly. Every effort has been made to ensure information is accurate but please check details before making firm decisions. Make text larger Make text smaller Text Only Display Privacy Policy/Terms of Use