Pet sitters
You can look forward to that.
As a zookeeper, you work with the care, nurturing and organization of good conditions for many different animals. You learn to combine professional knowledge, observations and daily routines so that the animals thrive and develop. The work is practical, varied and full of responsibility, because every day you are close to animals that depend on your efforts. The profession requires calm, structure and the desire to understand animals and their needs.
As a zookeeper, you work with the care, nurturing and organization of good conditions for many different animals. You learn to combine professional knowledge, observations and daily routines so that the animals thrive and develop. The work is practical, varied and full of responsibility, because every day you are close to animals that depend on your efforts. The profession requires calm, structure and the desire to understand animals and their needs.
How the training takes place
The education starts at Techcollege, where you are introduced to animal husbandry, care, hygiene, safety and the workflows involved in caring for both large and small animals. You learn to work systematically and use theory to make choices in your daily work.
Then you will be trained in a place where animals are worked. Here you will become part of the everyday life and be given tasks as you become ready for them. You will learn to feed, clean, adapt the environment, observe behavior and take responsibility for the animals' well-being.
Everyday life in learning
In the apprenticeship, you will have a practical everyday life where you are close to animals and work with fixed routines, feeding, cleaning, environmental adaptation and registration. You will learn to read the animals' signals, see changes in behavior and collaborate with colleagues to ensure good conditions.
You gradually gain more responsibility and learn how professional knowledge and daily tasks are interconnected in an environment where there can be both large and small species.
In the apprenticeship, you will have a practical everyday life where you are close to animals and work with fixed routines, feeding, cleaning, environmental adaptation and registration. You will learn to read the animals' signals, see changes in behavior and collaborate with colleagues to ensure good conditions.
You gradually gain more responsibility and learn how professional knowledge and daily tasks are interconnected in an environment where there can be both large and small species.
Start your education
Ready to get started? Here you will find the upcoming start dates for the program.
We look forward to welcoming you.
January 2027
Start-up 18.01.2027
Application deadline 16.11.2026
(See below for details on quota application)
Some vocational education programs have access restrictions for Basic Course 2 (GF2). This means that the program is designed to meet specific requirements.
If you do not have a training agreement with a company, you can apply for a quota place on some dimensioned training courses. There is a limited number of quota places on each training course.
What is a quota place?
A quota place is a place in GF2 on a degree program with restricted access.
If there are more qualified applicants than quota places, the places will be offered to the best qualified. How you are assessed depends on the programme and may be, for example, through an interview or test.
You can see the specific requirements, deadlines and how quota admission is carried out on the individual education page.
Do you have a training agreement?
If you have a signed training agreement with a company, you have access to start at GF2 and do not have to apply for a quota place.
In some dimensioned education programs, an education agreement is a requirement to start GF2.
How do you apply for a quota place?
If you do not have an education agreement, you generally apply for admission to GF2 via Optagelse.dk .
Application deadlines and the process for quota admission may vary from program to program. Therefore, always check the current information on the program page.
If you are applying for GF2 without an education agreement, you must participate in an admission interview as part of the admission process.
Do you not have a training agreement with a company and do you want to apply for a training program with restricted access?
Each year, Techcollege is allocated a limited number of quota places in Basic Course 2 on some of the education programs with restricted access – including the animal care program.
The quota places can be applied for by students who cannot find an apprenticeship. If you are lucky enough to get a quota place, you will be allowed to attend Basic Course 2 without an education agreement. During the weeks you attend the basic course, you must be actively seeking an apprenticeship.
If you are applying for a quota place, you must fill out a quota application form, which you must attach together with your exam papers when you apply at optagelse.dk.
How do I search?
You fill out the application template - Link to the application template can be found here
Next, you apply for the program via optagelse.dk.
You must also attach a school leaving certificate from primary school (you must prove that you have passed the primary school leaving exam, as well as Danish and mathematics in primary school)
Once we have received your registration, application and diplomas, you will be invited to a quota interview.
At the interview, you will hear a little about the program, have a conversation with our teachers and supervisor, and be assessed holistically.
The overall assessment focuses on, among other things :
Mobility (Are you ready to move or travel far after an apprenticeship?)
Study aptitude (Can you attend school every day and be active in class?)
Maturity (How do you show initiative, independence and sense of responsibility, etc.?)
Experience (What experience do you have in terms of volunteer work, part-time jobs or full-time jobs)
Personal skills (flexibility, team player, can have many balls in the air)
Remember – there is no guarantee that you will get a quota place, even if you apply for one. If you are not accepted into the program, we encourage you to continue applying for an apprenticeship. Students with an apprenticeship (a signed agreement with a company) are automatically admitted to the program.
November 16, 2026
Registration deadline at optagelse.dk for external applicants – remember to attach diplomas and completed application template.
November 16, 2026 during school hours
Conversations with GF1 students from Agriculture, animals, plants & nature at TECHCOLLEGE - you receive conversation time in e-Boks.
November 23 and 24, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Interviews with external applicants – you will receive interview times in e-Boks. (Set aside the dates now, as attendance is mandatory if you want to continue in the process).
November 27, 2026
You will be notified in e-Boks whether you have been accepted into a quota place.
Frequently Asked Questions
The animal care training lasts up to 4½ years .
You can take the basic course at Techcollege .
After the basic course, you can continue your education at, for example, Hansenberg in Kolding.
In the zookeeper program, you must specialize in one of the following four areas. Your choice will affect the types of animals you work with and where you typically receive an apprenticeship.
Zoological facilities
Here you work with animals in zoos and animal parks.
You will learn to:
Care for and feed many different animal species
Maintain and set up facilities
Observe the animals' well-being and behavior
Provide knowledge about the animals to guests
There is a focus on animal welfare, safety and communication.
Experimental animals
Here you work with animals that are part of research.
You will learn to:
Care for and handle laboratory animals correctly
Comply with hygiene and infection protection rules
Work accurately and responsibly
Follow applicable legislation and documentation requirements
There is a focus on animal welfare, safety and proper handling.
Horse manager
Here you work with horses.
You will learn to:
Care, feed and train horses
Maintain stables and facilities
Observe the horse's well-being and health
Working safely around large animals
There is a focus on daily operations, responsibility and safety.
Pet trade
Here you work in pet stores or similar stores.
You will learn to:
Care for and feed smaller animal species
Advise clients on animal husbandry
Maintaining cages and aquariums
Work with sales and service
Here, animal care is combined with customer contact and advice.
As a zookeeper, you work with the care and maintenance of animals and ensuring their well-being.
You will learn, among other things, how to:
Feed and activate animals
Clean and maintain cages and facilities
Adapting the animals' environments
Disseminate knowledge about animals to others
You will receive theoretical training in, for example:
Animal husbandry and animal welfare
Biology and science
Anatomy and physiology of animals
Infection protection
Health and illness
Reproduction and breeding
Behavioral biology
Working environment
Technique
Tractor driving license
First aid and fire
You participate in the daily care of both larger and smaller animal species - e.g. cows, goats and rabbits as well as small animals such as lizards, snakes, amphibians, mice and fish.
Once you have completed the training, you can work as a zookeeper .
For example, you can work in:
Zoos
Zoos
Pet shop
Other animal husbandry businesses
You can also further your education, for example in:
Agricultural Technologist
You can see more options on the access card.
To start the main course, you must have an apprenticeship - also called a training agreement.
An apprenticeship means that you are employed as a student in a company and enter into an agreement about your education. This is where you learn the subject in practice and become part of a workplace.
You can apply for an apprenticeship with companies yourself, and the school will guide and support you in the process of applying and contacting companies.
If you do not find an apprenticeship immediately, you have the opportunity to receive school training if the education is offered with school training.
School-based training means that you complete the practical part of the education at school instead of in a company. Here you work with the same professional goals and competencies that you would otherwise learn in an apprenticeship.
This means that you can continue your education even if you do not have an apprenticeship from the start.
A vocational education is divided into two parts: basic course and main course .
The basic course
The basic course is the first part of the education and takes place at school.
If you come directly from 9th or 10th grade, you start with Basic Course 1. Here you spend the first half of the year being introduced to the educational field and learning the basic subjects and working methods.
If you do not come directly from primary school – or if you already have an apprenticeship – you start with Basic Course 2. Here you work purposefully with the education you have chosen and get ready for the internship and main course.
The main course
The main course is the part of the education where you alternate between school and internship in a company.
This means that you both receive instruction at school and learn the subject in practice at a workplace.
To start the main course, you must have an apprenticeship (a training agreement) with a company.
There are three ways to meet the entry requirements:
1) You have an apprenticeship
If you have a training agreement with a company, you automatically meet the admission requirements.
2) You meet the grade requirements
You must have:
Passed 9th or 10th grade
At least 02 on average in both Danish and mathematics
Passed the primary school leaving exam
You must send your diploma with your application.
3) Entrance exam
If you do not meet the requirements, you can take an entrance exam.
If you apply for Basic Course 2, you will need to attend an interview before you can be admitted.
Yes. If you live more than three blocks away from the school by public transport, you may have the opportunity to live in our student residence during your education.
At the school dormitory, you live close to the school and become part of a community with other students.
Do you have any questions?
