Work Experience Placements

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing conservation education program for a small zoological collection & Botanic Gardens in sunny Gibraltar.

The AWCP & Gibraltar Botanic Gardens offers placements for Work Experience volunteers all year round. Placements are with the animal care sections/ education/ research/ veterinary/ administration, plus marketing & events. Placement holders gain experience with a wide range of species.

Conservation Education placements are offered for between 9-12 months, but shorter periods are also accepted. Students will have the opportunity to be involved in staff training days (where possible), plus full animal husbandry training throughout the placement. A reference will be given upon successful completion. Opportunities for research projects will be offered during the term, and assistance will be provided throughout.

Objectives:

Animal husbandry duties of the AWCP collection, full husbandry training given, along with training manual and regular progress reports. The collection includes reptiles, primates, small mammals and birds.

Other activities:

• To gain skills within the education and outreach department, including delivering encounters and classroom educational sessions.

• To deliver educational talks at the zoo to visitors and groups.

• To apply personal skills and take ownership of a series of tasks and/or a research project.

• To help develop educational tours for conservation education,

• To help create educational resources for conservation education,

• to help develop and support the running of formal and informal learning, helping to run education workshops, school clubs and school holiday activities.

• Assisting with events & campaigns

• The role will include work with the affiliated Botanic Gardens, and the educational role will span both sites.

• Flexibility is required about days/hours to suit the needs of the business, including weekends and bank holidays.

These placements are aimed at students undertaking a further or higher education course requiring a sandwich year in industry placement within their degree or recent graduates seeking a career in the animal care/conservation sector or similar.

All placements are voluntary as we are a very small zoo with a small staff base. We cannot provide financial support or expenses to those applying for these opportunities. There is no promise of future work within the collection at the end of the placement.

Accommodation options are available with the local university for full-time students and students on an industrial placement year. Proof of studentship will be required.