News

Sparsholt College, home of The National Zoo Academy and 16 years of experience training zookeepers and aquarists, is proud to introduce the new Level 3 Zookeeper and Aquarist Apprenticeship for 2020.

The Zookeeper and Aquarist Apprenticeship is the perfect opportunity for zookeepers and aquarists looking to excel in their careers, stay current and up to speed with best practice. The apprenticeship mixes on-the-job training, taught sessions and monitored tasks.

Sparsholt has unrivalled and longstanding experience of teaching zookeepers and aquarists and has crafted the latest research and best practice into a suite of teaching materials. Students will log their progress and activities by creating a live digital portfolio, that will double as a working CV after the completion of the course and can be used as a key tool in future career progression.

Apprentices will continue to earn whilst they learn throughout the course. They will experience a mix of taught sessions by leading industry experts across a selection of some of the biggest UK zoos with leading industry experts; tapping into a wealth of specialist online resources and extensive support from the comfort of their own collection with additional visits to other leading collections over the course for bespoke face to face teaching.

The course will also include an initial induction at Sparsholt College’s 450-acre campus with access to its cutting edge Animal Health and Welfare Research Centre, home to over 1200 animals from 200 different species.

Penny Hounsome, Sparsholt Curriculum Leader – Zoo Animal Studies, said: “The Zoo and Aquarist Apprenticeship is a new offer to add to our wide range of courses for keepers and aquarists wanting to begin their career in the zoo or aquarium profession. This exciting new opportunity to develop essential knowledge and skills as you work and earn with The National Zoo Academy is one not to be missed. We can’t wait to get started with this exciting new qualification and look forward to welcoming new individuals from collections across the UK and EU to the apprenticeship while updating and maintaining the DMZAA course too. There is now even more ways to qualify in your career!”

To register interest and receive the latest updates about this course, visit sparsholt.ac.uk or email