Student’s Course Takes Her to Africa

Emily Blakemore has always had a passion for animals and has owned a variety from a young age, with horses having a special place in her heart. After finishing school at Aston Academy, Emily chose to study the Level 2 course in Animal Care at Rotherham College in Dinnington.

Starting on the Level 2 course gave Emily the base knowledge which she was able to build upon when she progressed onto the Level 3 course in Animal Care. She has had the chance to work with a wide range of animals from goats and chinchillas to exotic animals such as snakes, lizards and meerkats.

After completing the Level 3 course Emily chose to stay on at Rotherham College and study the HNC/HND in Animal Care, as it was local to her and she currently has a part-time job one day a week as an Animal Technician at Landmark’s Specialist College. Emily has also volunteered at local horse yards and a dog groomers throughout her time in college.

During her course, Emily has had the opportunity to complete an Animal First Aid qualification offered at Rotherham College. Emily hopes to go on to be a full-time Animal Technician and would also like to go on to teach animal care to others.

Emily will be part of the group of HNC Animal Care students this year who are taking part in the Africa Big 5 trip. In July her tutor, Jacq Moore, is taking a group of seven students to Kwantu in South Africa where they will be staying in backpacking accommodations at a reservation with a swimming pool and meals provided for their two week stay.

The students, who raised the money for the trip themselves, will be immersing themselves in the life of an Assistant Game Ranger on the Big 5 reserve. A few of the tasks include lion tracking and monitoring, game drives and counts, predator care and interaction, fence patrol, repairs and maintenance, animal management and counts, game captures, tree planting and landscaping and the removal of alien vegetation.

Emily said “I’m really looking forward to seeing my favourite animal in person, a giraffe. It’s really good at Rotherham College, other places don’t have the hands-on experience you get here. Our tutor, Jacq, was a veterinary nurse so she shows us how to do it properly and she also taught the Animal First Aid qualification I did.”

For more information about our range of animal care courses please visit www.rotherham.ac.uk or call 01709 722777.