optical assistant Review
at Specsavers
Level 2 Apprenticeship
Marketing
Stockton-on-Tees
Review Submitted: July 2022
Overall Rating
2.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
2/5
-
Overview of Role
3/5
-
Skills Development
3/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
in the job, it was selling and dispensing people glasses, giving them what was best for them, from our recommendation . it was also repairing and adjusting glasses, making sure they would fit and that they could see out of them, i would also pre screening customers, but it was mainly dispensing/sales/collectisons
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
1/5
although at the beginning i enjoyed the job, as time went on i realized that i wasnt gaining anything useful to myself. when i applied i was looking for a full time job, and i applied for the apprenticeship as you need to have the level 2 optical assistant for the full time role,
and it looked like a good option for progression. although there is still progression available, the apprenticeship did nothing to help that. and furthermore, they hired full time staff without experience, and since i was an apprentice i was paid £4.30 an hour where as the new full time staff were paid over double at £9.10. i have recently finished the apprenticeship, and my wage has gone up to i think £6.45, however this is still less tan my colleagues whom do not have a qualification in optics. so it feels like i was paid less and get the government funding.
and it looked like a good option for progression. although there is still progression available, the apprenticeship did nothing to help that. and furthermore, they hired full time staff without experience, and since i was an apprentice i was paid £4.30 an hour where as the new full time staff were paid over double at £9.10. i have recently finished the apprenticeship, and my wage has gone up to i think £6.45, however this is still less tan my colleagues whom do not have a qualification in optics. so it feels like i was paid less and get the government funding.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
i have definitely learned new skills as i have learned how glasses and eyes work. along with this what a optical prescription is and what happens in an eye test, along with getting the best fitting glasses for a customer. i also learned about different eye conditions and how we test for them
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
the apprentice ship was well organised, and my apprentice coach was very helpful, and had everything set out, however the store never seemed in the loop and i fell behind, which i didnt get support for until my last 2 months because they realised i was behind. but when i asked questions and for help they were still helpful.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
my apprentice coach [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the Higherin Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] was very helpful, and broke each of my tasks down for me to help me understand them. along with that, when i asked for help instore, people were very helpful, however i did have to ask for the help and i was rarely checked up upon until i was very far behind.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
support was always available from [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the Higherin Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] as she was a message away and always keeping me updated, while also breaking down my tasks, so i understood the structure of how to start writing it, and when i fell behind she set out a plan to help me get me get back on track.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
2/5
what i learned on my apprenticeship does help me on a day-to-day basis however i feel like i would've also learned this just with a normal full time job as i am the type of person to like to know why and how anyway, so it also feels pointless when others are getting hired for just the fulltime role.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
at the company 'specsavers' there is occasional staff social events which are typically a meal. but there is not much more than that. recently there has been wellbeing meeting, where staff can go talk about mental heath and just generallig how they are doing, which lots of people have enjoyed but i have not been to one.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Specsavers to a friend?
No
Why?
if it was a normal full time role they i would say yes, but if it is an apprenticeship, i would say no as it is the same work, if not more work for less pay, when you could do the same thing for more money if its just normal full time role.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Specsavers?
i would advise the to go for a full or part time role (which ever suits their needs), however the apprenticeship feel obsolete, as you can get the same out of a full time role with the same opportunities. and teh qualifications gets you no further than not having would as its only worth a GCSE, which i had to prove i had anyway to get the role, which normal staff did not.
