# Herp courses



## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

Anyone know where I can find herp/animal related courses???


----------



## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

compass do one, and proteus as well


----------



## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

What are Compass , proteus :crazy:???


----------



## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

Compass Education and Training


----------



## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

Thanx just had a look at it and I'am :mrgreen: .
Although I don't know which course to choose:no1:.
Just wonderin how would the study from home bit work...anyone got any examples of what happens???


----------



## Zak (Jan 7, 2008)

Ive emailed Proteus god knows how many times each time asking about the course, saying ive got the money and how would i pay etc and no reply.

Saying that i visited their actual place and its obvious theyre not the most organised bunch. 

Before you go for the course which costs money, have you tried asking at local reptile shops for a more hands on experience, perhaps volunteering once a week etc. Yes knowing the physiology is great but these courses arent practical based something key within the exotic pet trade.


----------



## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

I've also emailed proteus about a hundred times, well maybe not that many, but a lot, with no response. The compass one def looks good. I did the Sparsholt one last year and that was good too..

Sparsholt College Home Page click on the frog on the courses section, they have some nice animals too, roughneck monitor and monkey tail skinks

: victory:


----------



## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

I would do some voluntary work but I don't know when I would be able to do it as the earliest I could get to my local would be 4.30 because of school and they shut at 5.30/6 . I,ve also got my YoungScot meetin on Thursdays.
One thing about my local is that they have normaly unclean setups , wrong size of food fed , species mixing .If I did get a part time job there how would I go about changin this without causing offence???


----------



## Zak (Jan 7, 2008)

Weekends? Could always work a saturday and then theres school holidays.

Bear in mind alot of these herp courses are £300+, which is a fair bit of money.


----------



## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

Would it be worth helpin out there for just 1.30hours twice a week???
Thanx for the replies so far :mrgreen: .


----------



## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

Any hands on experience is a good thing really even if its not many hours a week. And if you are doin it volutary it will look decent on your CV also, which is always nice :no1:

You could also try an local exotic vets....

: victory:


----------



## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

Already got an award for 100+ hours of voluntary work with the NA YoungScot group :mrgreen: .
The closest Exotic Vet near me is 1.30 hours away lol.


----------



## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

Get you :no1: in that case get a paid weekend job in a pet shop and put the proceeds to one of the previously mentioned courses. Winner :no1:


----------



## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

When you reach 16 you can do a Full time couse....a first diploma/national diploma in Animal Care/Management that covers an Exotic and an Aquatics module. or an NPTC (city&guilds) in Animal Care. or an NVQ in Animal Care.


----------



## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

My mate is doing the Compass course - she enrolled last week 

I have done courses from home before and Compass confirmed they workp retty much the same as ICS - send you a module, you complete it, do the assessment, send it in for the tutor to assess and grade then they return it with your mark and your next module.

Best of luck if you start one - looks like good fun and worth the £££'s to do them too


----------



## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

I'am defo thinkin of the compass course but how useful is it ???


----------



## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Well I know an NVQ level 2 with a overall mark of 70-100% is the equivalent of a A grade GCSE (are they GCSE's in Scotland sorry?)

If you go onto distance learning courses, home study courses, elearning, vocational courses and have a look there they have charts with the grade tranfers on them - thinking on Compass actually have the details of what is what in thier prospectus - if my mate calls in tomorrow I will post the details up for you


----------



## Xiorell (Aug 15, 2007)

Zak said:


> Ive emailed Proteus god knows how many times each time asking about the course, saying ive got the money and how would i pay etc and no replyquote]
> 
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Zak (Jan 7, 2008)

Xiorell - Well i saw a phone when i went down there but whether it was plugged in or not?! Asked one of the guys there and he said to email/phone in so christ knows. Might go down again in summer and enquire again.

Kaimarion - As Britton said, 70-100% would = A Grade GCSE = Standard grade in scotland.

Its relevance is debatable in my opinion, yes it will look good but they're relatively new qualifications that arent as recognised as say a City and Guilds in Animal Management or a degree. 
They're not hands on, which alot of exotics jobs want and they're correspondence courses meaning its completely self motivated to do the work. You wont have a teacher/tutor telling you need to finish.


----------



## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

A C&G course is only of the same grade though Zac - level 2 C&G is the equivalent to a A grade GCSE too


----------



## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

A first diploma is the equivalent to GCSE or SQA (a *level 2* qualification):
You can get any grade a GCSE or SQA to get onto the course and depending on the grades you get can be the equivalent to 3 GCSE grade A.

National Diploma is equivalent to A-Levels (a *level 3* qualification):
You need 5 GCSE grade C or above (one in science) to get onto the course and again depending on the grades you get can be the equivalent to 3 A-Levels grade A

City and Guilds: 
You can do NVQs from Level 1 - 4 in animal care

there are also various other certificates you can do such as 'petstore management' 'dog grooming' etc

NPTC | QualificationsAnimal Care

and they also do entry level qualifications which are below GCSE level!

These are the only real recognised quialifications at the moment and are all HANDS ON courses. Others such as the online ones and ABC Level 2 and 3 in Animal Care do look good on CV's and such if thats the area you want to go into but at the end of the day the person who has a 'recognised' qualification will get any job over someone who has done an online course.

I advise that if you are planning on going to college after school then you find a college that does animal studies and you start learning about exotics that way.


----------



## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

What qualification you go for really depends on what you want to do afterwards. A friend of mine did the National Diploma in animal management and then found very few universities would accept him with that qualification, so thats worth baring in mind if you fancy goin to uni. Not everyone dopes tho and if you don't it doesnt matter :lol2:

I wanted to do a 'hands on' course but in the end I didn't because BSc's get better recognition from employers, such as zoo's, than the practical ones. Or at least thats what I was told when I enquired to a few zoo's before doing my degree, but I guess all employers are different.

A hands on course would be better than an online one as mina said, because they more widely recognised qualifications. But then online/distance learning courses show that you have gone out of your way and spent your money to do it....thats what I'm hoping with the NVQ thing I just spent 300 quid on :lol2:

You can always get some prospectuses from colleges and have a good look through. Defiantly take the time to find the right course.

: victory:


----------



## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

miffikins said:


> What qualification you go for really depends on what you want to do afterwards. A friend of mine did the National Diploma in animal management and then found very few universities would accept him with that qualification, so thats worth baring in mind if you fancy goin to uni. Not everyone dopes tho and if you don't it doesnt matter :lol2:


The national diploma is now becoming more and more acceptable for getting into Uni...I got in with mine about 7years ago but I had to have straight distinctions but it was hard to convince them....now uni's are adding it into entry requirements, for example to get on the Bsc Animal Behaviour and Welfare course at Chester Uni you can have a BTEC National Diploma with merit, merit, merit (my boyfriend just got accepted  ) as they are realising they are just as much work...if not more...than A Levels, and the NDs are more specialised.


----------



## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

He got distinctions and only a handfull would even look at his qualification. Swansea was one of the better ones that accepts them I think, or thats what he's told me anyhow, we're in our final year now so that was 3 years ago, might be a bit different now:lol2:

I would have liked to do the ND but having seen how much he has struggled with the straight science (BSc Zoology) I'm glad I did biology and chemistry instead but it definatly depends on the course you take

: victory:


----------



## skimsa (Sep 28, 2007)

the level 4 animal care and management can you go and do this straight away or do you need to do levels 1-3? I take it the higher levels the better


----------



## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

skimsa said:


> the level 4 animal care and management can you go and do this straight away or do you need to do levels 1-3? I take it the higher levels the better


Depending on GCSE/A levels - you need a level 3 qualification first so either A-levels or an National Diploma


----------



## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

miffikins said:


> He got distinctions and only a handfull would even look at his qualification. Swansea was one of the better ones that accepts them I think, or thats what he's told me anyhow, we're in our final year now so that was 3 years ago, might be a bit different now:lol2:
> 
> I would have liked to do the ND but having seen how much he has struggled with the straight science (BSc Zoology) I'm glad I did biology and chemistry instead but it definatly depends on the course you take
> 
> : victory:


Things are a bit different now because its becoming more recognised and alot of the modules have changed/been rewritten. 

I did zoology and I know about the struggling with the science...even tho i did the 'science' based animal care (with principles of animal science, biochemistry and microbiology etc) I still found the pure science stuff really hard! On an ND you get very little time, if any, actually in a lab! An ND is better if you do a degree in Animal Management or behaviour etc I think but you need some science knowlege if you are to do Zoology!


----------



## skimsa (Sep 28, 2007)

where can i find all this stuff out?


----------



## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

About the different courses? You need to contact a college that do them, there are quite a few now places like Reaseheath, Bishop Burton, Myerscough, Park Lane college! I know there are alot more but can't think of the top of my head! They can give you all the info you need.

But if you want to know anything now then you can just ask and I'll try to answer, I workrd for Myerscough for 3 years and did hundreds of carreers events! lol


----------



## skimsa (Sep 28, 2007)

i'd lke to do this level 4 animal management and care course if it gets you into uni (i understand not all and its not a gurentee etc). I have 12 gcse's grade c+ and 2 a's in science. I have some as levels as well i think but never claimed them cause i ran away to africa long story lol.

Could i do level 4 straight away or would i have to do 3 then 4


----------



## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

Yeah Zoology has its sciency moments. I much prefer the animal behaviour and ecology parts and thats what I'm doin my MSc in. Wish I had done some more hands on stuff, thats why I did the Exotics course but its good to have some sciency background too. All about finding a balance I guess!

: victory:


----------



## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

skimsa said:


> i'd lke to do this level 4 animal management and care course if it gets you into uni (i understand not all and its not a gurentee etc). I have 12 gcse's grade c+ and 2 a's in science. I have some as levels as well i think but never claimed them cause i ran away to africa long story lol.
> 
> Could i do level 4 straight away or would i have to do 3 then 4


I think you would need to do a National Diploma/Level 3 first, unless you can sort out the A-Levels...A level 4 qualification is the same as a degree!


----------



## BecciBoo (Aug 31, 2007)

miffikins said:


> Yeah Zoology has its sciency moments. I much prefer the animal behaviour and ecology parts and thats what I'm doin my MSc in. Wish I had done some more hands on stuff, thats why I did the Exotics course but its good to have some sciency background too. All about finding a balance I guess!
> 
> : victory:


I know what you mean! But I did it the other way round...practical then science :lol2: and it was hard!

I am currently studing to be a vet nurse, and its mostly cat and dogs when we cover herps I love it but tend to know more than the teacher :blush:, can't wait till I qualify cos then I can do an exotic nursing course


----------



## Zak (Jan 7, 2008)

miffikins said:


> Yeah Zoology has its sciency moments. I much prefer the animal behaviour and ecology parts and thats what I'm doin my MSc in. Wish I had done some more hands on stuff, thats why I did the Exotics course but its good to have some sciency background too. All about finding a balance I guess!
> 
> : victory:


Where abouts are you planning on doing your Msc? My university doesnt do any biology MSc's apart from aquatic based ones. Looking for some post graduate ideas.


----------



## Mark Anderson (Aug 10, 2011)

*Keeping Reptiles: Care, Welfare & First Aid (Diploma)*

'Keeping Reptiles' is an online course offered by Atikkam Academy. It introduces learners to all aspects of keeping a reptile, from understanding their biology and behaviour to issues of health and first aid. The course is ideal for all reptile owners, and particularly keepers caring for them in a retail outlet or visitor attraction.


Atikkam Academy » Keeping Reptiles: Care, Welfare and First Aid


----------



## Lacerta. (Jul 27, 2011)

Hmmm has anyone done the compass level 4 one. Is it worth doing and what are the modules like?? How herpy can I make them lol


----------

