Former student Tegan is now top technician

#didyouknow our expert technician Tegan Crean is a former student of The Manchester College? Tegan spoke to us about her role and all the benefits of studying Animal Care at The Manchester College.

"I studied at The Manchester College from 2012 to 2014 when a tecnician job became available, so I’ve been working at the Northenden campus for five years. I came to The Manchester College because it was the only college offering this type of course. My ambition had always been to work with animals ever since I was young, and I originally wanted to work with dogs, but coming here made me realised I wanted to work with a wider range of animals.

The course also gave me a lot of technical knowledge that I didn’t have before, and made me realise things like how complicated looking after animals such as rabbits can be. Most of the students that come here have a passion for animals, so this course is a great stepping stone to a career in the animal care sector. You do need qualifications to be a dog groomer or dog walker, but you also wouldn’t be able to go onto university without the qualification. And if you are wanting to work the RSPCA you would need a Level 3 qualification. A lot of my peers have gone on to become veterinary nurses or continued their studies, I also know students who have gone on to work in a zoo. But this is my dream job, because it’s so varied.

We have around 150 animals in total from reptiles and stick insects to rabbits and guinea pigs.  We’re the only college in south Manchester to have a Coati, a type of mammal, and ours is called Casper.  And I have my own northern pine snake at home called Athena.

What makes The Manchester College special is the dedication of the staff who work in Animal Care. We are as passionate about the students as we are about the animals. Students thinking of coming here should join us because we can offer many career paths and the passion of staff is second to none.

Find out more about the wide range of courses available by signing up to The Manchester College Open Day on 9 July.