During Big Cat Week 2023, The Big Cat Sanctuary made a visit to our Level 3, Year 1 students to complete a 3-day workshop at our Animal Management Unit.
As a college we see such value in employer engagement, not only for the direct benefit of our learners but when it comes to designing our curriculum to meet the industry needs. We are working in partnership with #KAMCOP who very kindly funded the Big Cat Sanctuary’s visit as part of our ongoing work with #KAMCOP to develop progressions skills in our learners; whether that be employment, apprenticeships or higher education.
The main purpose of this was to get our learners engaged with real-life employers, developing those skills which are needed in industry! On this occasion, this involved research, presentation, and communication skills. The objective was to get students reflecting on the development of these skills, ultimately motivating them towards their progression goal! They also learnt valuable information about the conservation of Big Cats and how we can help them moving forward.
The third and final day of the workshop saw 13 groups present to a room of 72 learners and staff! The students were able to overcome their nerves, communicate their own conservation proposals and present their fantastic social media videos. Ultimately, 15 of these learners won the chance to visit the Big Cat Sanctuary for a private tour on the Friday!
Josephine Saunders, Head of Animal Management, said “It was quite something to see the personal development achieved in many of our learners over these three days. We had learners who vowed would never present a slide in their life, overcoming their fears and not only delivering a presentation to 72 people, but also very clearly enjoying themselves whilst up on that stage! We are so proud of their achievements, and credit to Gill from the Big Cat Sanctuary for giving our learners the tools and confidence to work on this skill.”
Gill Garbo, Education and Sustainability Officer at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said “The aim of The Big Cat Sanctuary Conserve to Preserve Project was to provide an inspiring opportunity for students to learn more about important conservation work to protect threatened species whilst developing a range of skills. It was great to see such engagement, enthusiasm and teamwork going on during the three days and we were all impressed with the final presentations and social media campaigns showcasing the students’ conservation ideas. Lots of students pushed themselves out of their comfort zones and all of them should be commended for the hard-work they put into their conservation projects. It was a very enjoyable three days, and we hope to do this again.”
