Bilingual qualification for budding dog groomers launched

With more dogs living in Wales than ever before, a brand new course has been introduced for Welsh speakers who would like to become a dog groomer.

Currently seven out of ten of the UK’s most popular dog breeds are said to require a groom, and following the pandemic puppy boom, and a subsequent rise in dog ownership, demand for dog grooming services are at an all time high.

But dog parents are savvy customers, and are demanding that their pet professionals have top quality qualifications to back up their skills. This has previously put many Welsh speakers off, as the courses have not been available in their preferred language.

Inclusivity

But all that is set to change, as after being award a grant from Qualifications Wales’ Welsh Language Support Grant, iPET Network has created a brand new Level 1 Award in Preparing for Work in Dog Grooming which is perfect for Welsh speakers who want to get into the profession.

Sarah Mackay and Fern Gresty of the iPET Network, which creates Ofqual regulated qualifications for UK animal industries, said: “This is an important project to us, as accessibility and inclusiveness is at the heart of all we do.

“By providing these qualifications bilingually, more people than ever will be able to enter the industries we love, with a high skill level which is so needed as these industries grow.

“As well as being more accessible for those whose preferred language is Welsh, the qualifications are far more based on becoming ready for work than anything else out there and smaller qualifications to support additional learning.

“Dog grooming is a growth industry and the demand for qualified dog groomers is only going to rise. For anyone who would love to work with animals, getting into dog grooming is something that can give you an amazing and rewarding dream career.”

Funding

In an effort to offer accessible qualifications in growth industries, including Dog Grooming and Animal Care, iPET Network has received funding from Qualifications Wales’ Welsh Language Support Grant to create five new qualifications.

The full list of qualifications that will be available bilingually are:

iPET Network Level 1 Award in Preparing for Work in Dog Grooming

iPET Network Level 2 Diploma Animal Care

iPET Network Level 3 Award in Canine First Aid

iPET Network Level 3 Award in Equine Emergency First Aid

iPET Network Level 2 Award in First Aid for Dogs

The qualifications, which will be available for delivery from April 2024, will enable learners for whom Welsh is their preferred language to have the opportunity to learn and complete the qualifications in Welsh. With the support of iPET Networks approved Training Providers, the qualifications will be designated for funding allowing those who can teach and train in Welsh the option to register learners.

As well as being fully available in Welsh, these qualifications have been designed to meet the needs of the Welsh market and preparing leaners for work in the Animal Care Sector. Colleges and private training providers who would like to know more about offering the qualifications are being asked to come forward to help support the roll out and designation of the qualifications.

Priority

The purpose of Qualifications Wales’ Welsh Language Support Grant is to support awarding bodies in offering qualifications and assessment through the medium of Welsh, with priority given to qualifications for use by learners aged 14-19 on full-time funded programmes of learning or publicly funded apprenticeships.

Dr. Alex Lovell, Qualifications Manager at Qualifications Wales, said: “We are pleased to have awarded grant funding to iPET Network to ensure that these brand-new qualifications will be available in both Welsh and English from the point of first delivery.

“Providing an active and equal offer to learners in Wales from the outset reflects best practice and increases the likelihood that learners will take up new qualifications in Welsh.

“We are grateful to iPET Network for working collaboratively with us in our work to increase the availability of Welsh-medium qualifications.”

To find out more about the iPET Network go to www.ipetnetwork.co.uk