Helping colleagues to develop their full potential

Across the Group we are passionate about offering opportunities to colleagues who seek to develop their skills.

Our well established ‘Steps’ programme has been updated to provide retail colleagues with the most up-to-date and relevant training in retail operations, pet welfare and pet nutrition as well as qualifications that allow colleagues to serve customers with certain licensed medicines.

Apprenticeships fit perfectly with our ethos and can be invested in colleagues of any age, experience level or qualifications.

Within our veterinary practices we offer Veterinary Nurse apprenticeships for both internal colleagues and as an opportunity to recruit new talent. We have partnered with colleges that offer the best value and method of delivery to ensure that we can offer these apprenticeships to colleagues in every one of our practices.

In addition, we are creating a bespoke apprenticeship programme for our client care advisors to ensure that they can provide our clients with the best possible experience through their knowledge, passion and expertise.

Dick White Referrals, one of our specialist veterinary referral centres, has invested in its training academy with an experienced team of Registered Veterinary Nurses. Here students become proficient in the areas of veterinary care that are crucial to the smooth running of a practice. The Dick White Academy has been accredited as a training provider for Veterinary Nurses (level 3 diploma) and Veterinary Care Assistants (level 2 qualification) which supports the growth of talent across the veterinary profession.

In our Groom Room salons we offer apprenticeships to new colleagues looking to develop a career in pet grooming. Upon completion our grooming apprentices are promoted to an available position of Stylist.

Together with the Institute of Apprenticeships and other like-minded employers we are working to secure a new pathway dedicated to dog grooming. Within our Support Offices and Distribution Centres we offer apprenticeships in leadership, human resources, finance, customer service, software development, data analysis, recruitment marketing, supply chain and warehousing.