To kick off the new academic year, Weston College’s animal management team hosted an employment and conservation day where all new students got the chance to meet employers, explore the Puxton Park campus, take part in activities and investigate different prospective career paths.
The day began with a tractor ride around Puxton Park to familiarise the students with campus, where they also explored one of the dairy farms outside of Puxton that they will be involved with later in the year to see how it is run differently to the one onsite.
After the learners were more familiar with their surroundings, they headed to Puxton’s theatre for talks from both lecturers and employers and had the chance to hear different pathways open to them, both after they complete their course and for their work experience hours. 
The lecturers outlined their previous experiences including working at Bristol Zoo with a range of different animals, training sea lions, and even saving species of birds that were on the brink of extinction. By sharing their career history, the students got a wider understanding of the possibilities available to them and the different animals they could work with.
Following this, the learners heard from employers from Harmonious Dogs, Noah’s Ark, and Reptile Zone. Reptile Zone also brought in one of Weston College’s Year 2 Level 3 students who volunteers with them to show that these careers are achievable and realistic to all the learners in attendance.
By providing the students with real-life experiences from both lecturers and employers, it allowed them to consider different pathways depending on the kinds of animals they wanted to work. They also got to see the types of employers that Weston College works with so they can make connections themselves and start thinking about their futures.
After lunch, the focus was on conservation supported by organisations called RoAM (Records of the Avalon Marshes), where volunteers who specialised in recording wildlife of the Somerset Wetlands came in to outline what RoAM was, discussed the importance of it and how students could help, as well as setting up activities to help the students understand and get them involved.
The students were split into groups and had 15 minutes to learn about a specific species and got the chance to use a microscope and look closely at animals, algae and microbes.
Joseph, the Technical Demonstrator for Animal Management, said: “Overall, this day was a success and hopefully opened up a new interest for students that haven’t had the experience with people who work with our native wildlife.”
Thank you to the employers and organisation members who took the time to visit our students and share their knowledge and experiences. This has broadened the learners’ mindsets and career opportunities.
Anyone interested in joining an Animal Management Course in September can find out more here.
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