In Northern Ireland, students can apply for: Help with tuition fee costs Help with the costs of living Some students in various circumstances, such as students with a disability or long-term health condition, can et additional funding, or to help pay additional costs for childcare. Visit Student Finance NI to explore what might be available to you and apply. In Scotland, the Student Awards Agency Scotland is responsible for student finance. If you live in Scotland and you are going…
If you are coming up to the time when you need to choose your GCSEs, you can feel under pressure. Don't panic: instead, read on for some tips to help you. When choosing your subjects, you could pick subjects you are good at or those you enjoy. You might want to do subjects your friends are doing, or ones where you like the teacher. These are all good reasons to pick a subject, but they are not the only things…
Have you applied to uni to study courses like dispensing optics, medicine or optometry? For some people, going to uni is as much about the life experience as it is about the course – so you want to get your choice of where you live right. There are a number of options open to you: Live at home and study a full-time degree at a local uni. With the rising cost of living, staying at home can seem like the…
Are you ready to choose your subjects for sixth form? Whether you are staying at school or moving to a sixth form college there are lots of options open to you. It can seem overwhelming – but don’t panic - here are tips to help you. First, you might want to think about the sort of job you would like to do. Look on a careers website like Careers in Eyecare and explore careers you might like and what you…
Wilma Paton is a contact lens optician at Specsavers in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire What's your role? I’m a dispensing optician (DO) and contact lens optician (CLO). I quickly knew that optics was my career when I first joined Specsavers Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, in a meet and greet role nearly 20 years ago. That developed into the practice manager role. I’ve been learning ever since to progress and support our patients. I moved to Specsavers Newlands, in Glasgow, ten years ago…
I love trying to demonstrate that there may be hope and opportunity even at a time when people are feeling that they have less choice than they have been used to.
Specsavers has been ranked 23rd in the top 50 best places to work in the UK. This is the first time the high street optical chain has taken part in the Great Place to Work survey, a global benchmark which gathers feedback from members of staff. At least 65% of employees must report a consistently positive experience before companies are certified by the scheme. In the UK, 78% of workers backed Specsavers. They praised the opportunities offered to develop and…
Do you have a passion for healthcare and a head for business? Every optical practice needs a manager. Start as an optical assistant or qualify as a dispensing optician and you could go on to become the manager, running the day to day business. These roles will see you leading the team, overseeing the finances, and making vital decisions. You will need to be enthusiastic about eyecare and clinically-minded. Your focus will be on sales and customer service. You will…
Specsavers has created a BTEC qualification to develop the skills of thousands of optical assistants (OAs) working in its community practices. The new Pearson BTEC Level 3 certificate includes units from the existing Pearson BTEC Level 3 certificate for optometric clinical assistants and dispensing assistants. Learners choose additional units to fit their roles, providing a tailored learning experience. Jodie Glanville (pictured) is the first person to complete the new qualification, works at Specsavers’ Plymouth practice: “I use the knowledge I gained completing the Cert 3…
Next week is National Careers Week 2024 (5-10 March) and it is the perfect time to showcase careers in eyecare. Here are five ways you can support careers week: Use your social media channels to highlight the role you have in eyecare. Tell your career story and share why others should consider a career in eyecare. If you have social media channels for your optical practice then you could share a post each day on the different roles within your…