Here at the Scottish SPCA, we are committed to supporting people of all ages get involved with our work, so it’s great to be able to offer placements again.

We even have a new look to the offer too!

Work Experience (S4-S6)

Unfortunately, due to our operational capacity at this time, we are unable to provide School Work Experience Placements.  

We hope to resume the programme in the 2023 and will advertise placements per the existing timetable below.

Who can apply for a work experience placement?

Any S4-S6 student (aged 14+) with an interest in the work of the Scottish SPCA is welcome to apply for a work experience placement with us.

Our work experience is offered on the basis of three to five consecutive days, Monday to Friday, and will accommodate work experience placements throughout the year.

Any awards or curriculum-based requirements that don’t fit within the three to five day work experience offer will be treated as youth volunteering (see below)

What will I be expected to do during my placement?

You can apply to carry out work experience in one of our Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centres, where you will undertake a variety of animal husbandry duties under the supervision of our friendly staff.

On these placements, you will have contact with the animals in our care, so it’s important that you let us know about any allergies or other health issues that might affect your ability to carry out the tasks involved.

Alternatively, you may prefer a role in our headquarters in Dunfermline, where we can offer experience of a variety of Head Office functions such as HR, communications, marketing, fundraising and data entry.

When can I complete a work experience placement?

Applications will be available as follows:

Work experience placements in our Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centres are offered from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8.30am and 3.30pm for school age students.

In headquarters, work experience placements are offered Monday to Friday between the hours of 9.00am and 4.00pm. All students are entitled to a lunch break of 45 minutes during their day.

What is the recruitment process for work experience placements?

It’s so easy to apply for a placement with us!

Click here for further information.

Note: Your placement must be approved by your school and you will require to provide us with details of a relevant teacher or staff member that we can approach to discuss your application with.

Due to their popularity there is limited availability for work experience placements, so please apply at the correct time for you e.g. if you would like to carry out a placement in May, you would need to apply in February.

Youth Volunteering

Our Youth Volunteering Programme is open to applications per the timetable below. However, due the impact of Covid-19 upon our operational capacity, we cannot guarantee that all of our rescue centres will be in a position to offer placements. We are continually reassessing capacity and all available opportunities will be available online in June, December and March.

We welcome young people to volunteer with us as part of their school curriculum, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Saltire Awards or other award scheme, or if they are aspiring to work in animal welfare in the future and are looking to gain valuable experience for their CV.

Our placements are available to young people aged 14-16 and we offer an 8 week long placement, attending one day (or half day) per week. During the placement, we offer hands-on animal husbandry experience within a set range of tasks assessed as safe and appropriate, and we will expect the young person to participate daily in cleaning tasks such as kennel cleaning, washing food bowls, assisting with laundry etc.

IMPORTANT NOTE: While we appreciate that the criteria for the volunteering section of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards is connected to a specific number of months (Bronze 3 months, Silver 6 months and Gold 12 months) in order that you can demonstrate commitment over a set time period, the Scottish SPCA are unable to offer the suggested average time commitment of 1-2 hour per week for operational reasons.

You may use your 8 weeks of volunteering with us (half or full days) towards your DofE volunteering requirement, and will gain during those 8 weeks between 32 and 56 hours of volunteering experience. Please discuss with your DofE leader how you may find additional volunteering opportunity to supplement this 8 week period to satisfy the needs of the scheme.

When should I apply?

Youth volunteering placements are very popular and it will not always be possible to accommodate applicants. The availability of placements is at the discretion of our Rescue & Rehoming Centre managers and other relevant business area managers.

Click here to apply