New Zealand Certificate in Animal Technology Rural Technician (Level 5) (Full or Part-time)

Strategic Purpose Statement

The purpose of this qualification is to prepare individuals as a rural animal technician by providing them with the skills, knowledge and attributes needed to help assist veterinarians in a rural veterinary practice.

This qualification is targeted at people with previous animal handling experience who wish to work in a veterinary related field or in a veterinary clinic with rural animals.

The animal industry will benefit by having graduates qualified with skills to allow them to be ready to work in a veterinary clinic or independently as a rural animal technician, under the direction of a veterinarian.

Graduate Profile

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

• Maintain the health and husbandry of animals in a rural environment.
• Perform technical tasks for the maintenance of animal health and welfare in the rural setting.
• Apply knowledge of pharmacology and current law, to dispense and administer animal remedies.
• Collect and/or test diagnostic samples and/or prepare samples for dispatch.
• Work in client business interface of an animal-related facility.

Employment Pathway

Graduates of the rural animal technician strand will be able to assist a veterinarian in large animal or mixed practice and in the field or work independently as a rural animal technician.

International students must have studied and completed a qualification in agriculture, animal sciences, or equivalent, prior to enrolling in this course.

International students for whom English is a second language must attain an IELTS General or Academic score of 5.5 or equivalent with no band score lower than 5 or pass an internal test to assess their English proficiency level according to Rule 18 English language requirements for international students.