Optical Assistant Apprentice Review
at Specsavers
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Customer Service, Sales
Bath
Review Submitted: August 2025
Overall Rating
4.6 /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!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
4.6/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
As an optical assistant apprentice, there's a variety of roles that I fill. At the start of the day we are assigned a role for the day. This includes: checking in customers and helping with queries at the front, performing spectacle adjustments and collections, dispensing glasses and helping customers with frame choice, taking diagnostic images before the sight test appointments, teaching customers to insert and remove contact lenses, as well as answering calls in the call centre.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
The apprenticeship has been a good mix of education and practical, hands-on learning. I've especially found the medical side of optics to be interesting. The only thing that I've struggled with on the apprenticeship is that it can sometimes be hard to balance my time, but the team has been really helpful and they genuinely care about my success. There is a wide range of professional development opportunities available as well.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
The optical assistant apprenticeship involves a lot of learning. As someone who had no previous optical experience, I started as a blank slate, and learned everything to do with the role over the past year. The team was very patient and helped me develop any skills I struggled with at first. I had previous experience with customer service, and I was able to grow that skill even further during my time here.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
The programme itself is well organized. It is very much reliant on communication between myself, the store team, and my apprenticeship coach to make sure that I am focusing on areas that I need development in.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
The team at Specsavers Bath has been really helpful with the apprenticeship. There are rare occasions where I haven't received the proper amount of learning time for the week, but the team always make sure that if that happens, I have that time allocated extra for the next week. My superiors are always interested in how the apprenticeship is going, and how they can assist me so that I can get the most out of it as possible.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
My apprenticeship coaches are very invested in my success with the programme. We have frequent catch-ups, where we discuss my wellbeing, my thoughts on the role, and anything I may need support with.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
All of the learning has definitely helped me on the shop-floor. The apprenticeship team has worked with me so that the the learning that they assign aligns with the practical work I do in store.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
There are plenty of social events that go on. We recently participated in Bath on the Beach, we do monthly movie-nights, and we have charity events that we are encouraged to attend.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Specsavers to a friend?
Yes
Why?
If you're interested in the optical field, Specsavers can be a good opportunity to get a start. Everyone's experiences with Specsavers will differ based on their store's team.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Specsavers?
Be ready to learn. If you have no optical experience, it may feel a bit overwhelming at first. Be sure to ask lots of questions and be honest with your team when you need help.
