Animal Industry Skills Elective

Do you have a love for animals? Maybe you are interested in working with animals when you’re older? Perhaps you have tried our Reptiles, Fish or Feather and Fur elective and want to learn the why behind our how. This elective will take a deep dive into the essentials you must know when caring for animals, and is a great choice for any animal-loving student.  

Animal Industry Skills is a blend of classroom-based learning, with several opportunities to put our knowledge into practice through workshops and practicals, where we are hands-on with our animal collection at TC.  

This class runs in both Semester 1 and Semester 2, with different topics explored in each. The themes we explore include:  

Semester 1 

  • Workplace Health and Safety – what unique challenges do we face when working with animals? 

  • Animal Identification – what are the differences between common species and how can we tell individuals apart?   

  • Safe animal transport, handling and restraint  - students learn how to approach and hold a number of our TC species 

  • Interpreting body language of common companion animals – what are our pets telling us? 

  • Conducting animal health checks – how do our animals display that they’re sick, and how can we assess their health? 

  • Parasites – what parasites can impact our animals? How do we check and treat for these?  

Semester 2 

  • Microorganisms – bacteria, viruses and fungi 

  • Infectious disease transmission and management – what diseases can threaten our animals and how can we keep them safe? 

  • Animal hygiene – why is it important for us to maintain a clean environment? 

  • Animal ethics and welfare – let’s explore some ethical dilemmas and unpack different opinions on ethical dilemmas such as horse racing, animal testing and zoos.  

  • Animal behaviour and enrichment – what are natural behaviours for our animals and how can we encourage this? 

If you are old enough, students will be strongly encouraged to undertake a week of Work Experience whilst studying this subject. Students will be supported to build a resume, contact organisations and apply for work experience opportunities across a range of different jobs and industries.  

Course Planning Tips 

  • This elective does not require you to have studied another Animals subject before. It is a great addition for those students who have already studied Feathers & Fur, Reptiles or Fish. 

  • Students can enrol in both semesters if they wish, or pick just one. You do not have to study in Semester 1 to enrol in Semester 2.  

  • This subject is considered a very helpful stepping stone into the VET Cert II in Animal Care (also offered at TC). It is not a prerequisite, however. 

  • This class is suitable for FLE1-FLE3. If a student is enrolling in VET Animal Care and wishes to study Animal Industry Skills, it is recommended that you do Animal Industry Skills the year before you start VET Animal Care.  

 *Extra-curricular fun!* 

All students enrolled in the Working with Animals Program have an opportunity to apply for our three school camps. These are Farm Camp, Zoo Camp and Turtle Camp!  

All students enrolled in the Working with Animals Program are welcome to attend our weekly Animals Committee Meeting, where students get to take the floor and share their ideas and proposals for changes to our practice, or to share important updates on our animals health or training progress. It is a great place to meet like-minded animal lovers.  

All students enrolled in the Working with Animals Program are invited to help us plan and run exciting and fun school events. Students enjoy volunteering for a number of roles to share our amazing program with the school community. These events include our annual Animal Expo and Trivia Night to name a few! 

 

See what all Animals electives get up to on TC Animals Instagram! Templestowe College Animals (@tc_animals) • Instagram photos and videos

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Turtle Team
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ORDERS CLOSING TODAY!! If you’re thinking about buying a tray of mangos, today is your last opportunity. Orders closing this evening! Link in bio to purchase!