Dog Groomer Apprentice – Join the Radleys Team
Location: Milton Keynes
Apprenticeship: Level 2 Dog Groomer Apprenticeship
Training Provider: KEITS
Position: 2 available
Do you love dogs and think dog grooming could be the career for you?
We’re looking for someone enthusiastic, caring and ready to learn to join us at Radleys Pet Styling & Academy as a Dog Groomer Apprentice.
You don’t need to arrive knowing how to groom — that’s what your apprenticeship is for! What we do need is someone with a genuine love of dogs, a positive attitude and the commitment to learn and develop their skills.
What will you be doing?
You’ll be working alongside our grooming team and within our training academy, learning the skills needed to become a professional dog groomer.
No two days are quite the same. You’ll meet dogs of different breeds, sizes, personalities and coat types and gradually build your confidence and practical skills.
Your day-to-day role will include things such as:
- Bathing, drying and preparing dogs for grooming
- Brushing, combing and coat preparation
- Nail care and basic grooming tasks
- Learning safe and kind handling techniques
- Assisting with grooming appointments
- Learning about different breeds, coat types and grooming techniques
- Carrying out pre-groom checks and putting dog welfare first
- Keeping the salon, equipment and work areas clean and organised
- Meeting clients and providing friendly customer service
- Gradually progressing onto more grooming and styling skills as your experience grows
You’ll be supported as you learn, but we’ll also encourage you to become increasingly confident and independent as your skills develop.
Who are we looking for?
We’re not expecting you to already be a dog groomer.
We’re looking for someone who is:
- Genuinely passionate about dogs and their welfare
- Friendly, positive and willing to get involved
- Reliable and punctual
- Keen to learn and happy to take guidance
- Patient and calm when working with dogs
- Comfortable speaking with customers
- Able to work as part of a team
- Prepared to work hard and develop their skills
- Serious about making dog grooming a career
Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who wants to learn and is prepared to put the work in.
A little reality check about dog grooming...
Working with dogs is incredibly rewarding, but professional grooming is also physical, practical work.
You’ll spend a lot of the day on your feet. There’s lifting and handling, plenty of bathing and drying, lots of cleaning, and yes — you will get wet and covered in dog hair!
Some days can be busy and tiring, and not every dog will stand perfectly while you work with them.
Learning to groom professionally also takes time, practice and dedication. You won't learn everything overnight, and you'll need to be willing to keep practising, listen to feedback and work through the more challenging days as well as enjoying the good ones.
If that still sounds like the career for you, we’d love to hear from you.
Your apprenticeship
Alongside your practical experience at Radleys, you’ll work towards your Level 2 Dog Groomer Apprenticeship with KEITS.
You'll be learning in a real working environment while developing the knowledge, practical skills and professional behaviours needed for a career within the grooming industry.
Why Radleys?
At Radleys, we have both a professional grooming salon and dedicated grooming academy, so learning and development are already a big part of what we do.
You'll be joining a friendly environment where questions are encouraged and where you'll have the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals while working with a wide variety of dogs.
We want to find someone who can grow with us.
For the right person, we'd love this apprenticeship to be the beginning of a long-term career within the Radleys team, with opportunities to continue developing your grooming skills and qualifications in the future.
If you love dogs, aren't afraid of hard work and are ready to put the time and effort into learning a professional skill, we'd love to hear from you.
Tell us a little about yourself, why you'd like to become a dog groomer and why you think you'd be a great addition to the Radleys team.
Pay: From £8.00 per hour
Expected hours: No less than 30.0 per week
Benefits:
- Company events
- Employee discount
- Free parking
Application question(s):
- Why would you like to work as a dog groomer, and what interests you about joining Radleys?
- Are you looking for a long-term career in dog grooming?
- What would you hope to be doing after completing your apprenticeship?
- Dog grooming is a physically demanding job. You will spend long periods standing and will need to handle dogs of different sizes, as well as regularly bathing, drying and cleaning. Are you comfortable with this?
- A large part of the apprentice role, particularly at the beginning, involves bathing, drying, brushing, cleaning and assisting other groomers while you develop your skills. Are you happy to undertake all aspects of the role?
- Tell us about any experience you have with dogs.
No professional experience is required — this could include your own pets, volunteering, previous employment or other experience.
- This role requires reliability and commitment because clients, dogs and other members of the team will depend on you. Please tell us briefly how you would demonstrate this.
- Are you comfortable working with dogs that may be nervous, excitable, vocal or challenging to handle?
- Are you happy to speak with customers and gradually develop your customer-service skills as part of the role?
- Why do you think you would be a good addition to the Radleys team?
- Do you currently hold GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)?
Work Location: In person
