venomous handling...

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merian

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Hi,
i'm applying for work experience for my uni course and a snake handling/venomous animal handling course would be really useful to put on the ol' CV... 'Snake handler' based in victoria looks like a good one and i'm prepared to make the trip if it's the only option but something a bit closer to sydney would be better - does anyone know of any courses in venomous snake handling that have a good rep in NSW? Also, is there a similar thing for venomous arachnids/invertibrates?
 
I think in NSW its the WIRES group that you need to talk to about doing a ven course ...all states are different although snake handler claims he is recognised all over AUSTRALIA ...so if thats the case and WIRES cant help you ..then a road trip will be ;)
 
it's hard to discern this stuff without knowing - i've researched so many options and there are heaps of frauds etc... thanks for your help
 
I have attended Jonno's ven's relocation course, and I recommend it :)
 
G'day guys,

I'm not sure what the legalities of answering your questions are on APS, as I'm not currently a sponsor - but if you email me at [email protected] I'm sure I can fill you in. I don't do APS PM's...
 
Neville is running a venomous handling course this wknd at werrington (near penrith) I'm not sure if he still has spots available, you can call him on 02 4759 1832. It's $300 for two days lunch included.
 
I think in NSW its the WIRES group that you need to talk to about doing a ven course ...all states are different although snake handler claims he is recognised all over AUSTRALIA ...so if thats the case and WIRES cant help you ..then a road trip will be ;)

It's not just a claim..... it's fact. Snake Handler has a National Accredition. As a Nationally Accredited course, upon completion you are awarded a Cert of Compatancy (same as a TAFE short course) not just a piece of paper stating you have attended or completed joe blogs's course.
 
Our course is acceptable to all state and territory wildlife authorities, despite what may be said elsewhere. The National Accreditation that has been mentioned is different to acceptance by wildlife authorities. This is a recognition of the educational value of the course, the level of assessment given and the fact that we must adhere to 12 National Standards in Education and Training. Our assessor must have a Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training as well as experience in working with venomous snakes.

Despite what is said elsewhere, we assess all our students on the safe manual handling of a wide variety of venomous snakes.

We have conducted courses in NSW in the past and are more than willing to do so again should the demand be there, however the course is offered on a regular basis in Victoria.
 
Neville Burns' courses are brilliant. I would never recommend anyone else.
 
Have you ever been to anyone else? I would suggest that people should get as much different advice as they can, that way they can form their own techniques based on what they feel works for them....one shoe does not fit all!!
 
Just to clear the muddy waters a little - no wildlife authority in Australia requires a nationally accredited course. Whilst it is advantageous from a formality point of view, what the authorities want is simply people trained by highly experienced trainers. For this reason, it is important to look at the industry experience of those conducting the courses, and also their reputation amongst the authorities.

There are many, many companies trying to jump on the bandwagon, many of which are illegal, in that they do not have permission from their state authority to conduct the courses. It is best to stick with the big names - Snake Handler, Neville Burns, Living With Wildlife and ERD.
 
Have you ever been to anyone else? I would suggest that people should get as much different advice as they can, that way they can form their own techniques based on what they feel works for them....one shoe does not fit all!!

I totally agree, techniques should be formed through many different experiences. I certainly haven't suggested otherwise. What I have stated is that I wouldn't ever recommend any training course other than Neville's. I thought that was pretty clear and didn't leave much room for confusion. Perhaps the lack of clarity arises in the purpose for which I would recommend the course? It gives a good starting point for handlers, without instilling an overestimation of personal ability or knowledge in the participants.

Had I tried all the courses available personally, I'd have wasted a fair bit of money, don't you think? If the basic premise in those courses are all the same, then doing it more than once would simply be rehashing what I already knew from the first course. To answer the question directly, no, I haven't tried all other courses personally. What I have done is spoken and dealt with many people who have done courses held by a few different companies. Rather than relying on one person's opinion of one company, I've listened to the experience of many people, and observed the attitudes, knowledge and skills they've acquired in their training.
 
Personally I don't think tapping into other peoples knowledge and experience would ever be a waste of money. Rehashing or not, it would give a different perspective. When it comes to working with animals, the more learning you can do the better, even if you go over some things numerous times!
 
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