National Apprenticeship Week is an opportunity to recognise the value of apprenticeships, the people who choose them, and the employers and training providers who make them work. At iPET Network an Ofqual approved End Point Assessment Organisation, apprenticeships are more than an alternative route, they are a practical pathway into meaningful careers across animal care, veterinary support, grooming, and wider animal-related industries. iPET Network are approved for 11 standards within the Animal Care sector.
These include the following,Â
Level 2 Animal Welfare Assistant – all pathways
Level 2 Equine Groom – all pathways
Level 2 Dog Groomer
Level 2 General Farm Worker
Level 3 Animal Care and Welfare Manager
Level 3 Unit Livestock Technician
Level 3 Senior Equine
Level 3 Detection and protection working dog specialist
You can read more HEREÂ
Animal care is a hands-on profession. Confidence, competence, and welfare-led practice cannot be learned from theory alone. Apprenticeships allow learners to develop real skills in real environments while earning, gaining recognised qualifications, and building professional confidence from day one.
For employers, apprenticeships support workforce development, improve staff retention, and help maintain high standards of animal welfare by ensuring learning is relevant, current, and industry-driven.
iPET Network is also an Awarding Organisation that design qualifications in collaboration with industry professionals who understand what employers and learners actually need in the sector. Apprentices working with the Training Providers and Employer can gain additional qualifications whilst studying their apprenticeships meaning they stand out, and provide and long-term career progression routes.
By working closely with approved centres, training providers and employers, we ensure that learning remains practical, ethical, and aligned with real workplace expectations.
Apprentices are balancing work, learning, and personal development. That’s why iPET Network places strong emphasis on supporting training providers, employers and the apprentice on clear structures and processes, support materials, accessible assessment models, and robust support.
Apprenticeships help apprentices to:
For many learners, apprenticeships also provide a vital route into education and employment that might otherwise feel out of reach.
National Apprenticeship Week is also about recognising the centres, mentors, tutors, training providers and employers who invest time and expertise into developing future professionals. iPET Network works closely with Training Providers to support quality delivery, compliance, and learner success, helping employers feel confident that apprentices are being trained to industry-relevant standards.
As the Animal Care and Veterinary Science sectors continue to grow and professionalise, apprenticeships will play an increasingly important role in shaping skilled, ethical, and confident workforces. At iPET Network, we remain committed to supporting apprenticeships that genuinely prepare learners for real careers.
This National Apprenticeship Week, we celebrate the apprentices taking their first steps, the employers guiding them, and the centres delivering excellence every day.
To all apprentices across the animal care sector, your journey matters, and we’re proud to support it.
Looking to start your journey you can look at our approved centers HEREÂ
Please complete the fields within the form before submitting your interest
