Students scoop top prizes at National Animal Welfare Competition
Students from Oaklands College’s Animal Management department have returned from the National Animal Welfare Inter‑College Competition with incredible results and plenty to celebrate!
Held at Solihull College & University Centre, the event brought together talented students from colleges across the UK to showcase their knowledge, creativity and hands‑on expertise in animal welfare and management.
Endorsed by WorldSkills UK - a national organisation that champions excellence in vocational education by running skills competitions and developing high quality training standards across the country - the competition challenged students with real world tasks reflecting current industry practice. This included enrichment design, enclosure planning, welfare strategy development, digital marketing campaigns and cognitive research presentations.
Joined on the day by their tutor Joshua Pattenden, all the students who took part shone at the competition. They performed incredibly well while facing the demands and pressures of taking part in such tough competitions, and a number of Oakland College students achieved winning performances.
They included Jacqui, a T-Level Animal Management student, who won 1st place in the Digital & Immersive Animal Welfare Campaign category, Florence, who is studying Animal Management at Level 3 level who secured 1st place for Cognitive Enrichment Research & Presentation - with a design that judges later said they would be using in their enclosures and displays, and Chloe, a Level 2 student, who earned herself 2nd place for Innovative Enclosure Design.
These achievements highlight the high standard of talent emerging from the College’s Animal Management programme and the commitment shown by each student.
Kirsty Stroble, Curriculum Team Manager for Animal Care at Oaklands College commented: “The students put so much time and effort into preparing their designs before the competition and demonstrated remarkable professionalism, creativity and depth of knowledge throughout the competition itself. Their achievements reflect the dedication they bring to their studies and the strength of the teaching and support behind them. We’re incredibly proud of everyone who took part.”
Competitions of this kind play an important role in preparing students for careers in the animal management sector, offering opportunities to build confidence, develop industry relevant skills and showcase their abilities in a supportive yet competitive environment. The success of the students stands as a testament to their hard work and the quality of training they receive.
