Graduate Optometrist Laura Hou from Specsavers Salamander Bay in New South Wales explains why she chose to opt for a regional graduate placement, and how she has grown personally and professionally as a result of her decision.

Each year, Specsavers sponsors a selection of graduate and senior optometrists to participate in an outreach where they can see and experience first-hand the work of Specsavers’ national charity partner, The Fred Hollows Foundation. Patrycja Zelazny, a graduate optometrist at Specsavers Taylors Lakes in Victoria, participated in one such outreach at the Pacific Eye Institute in Suva, Fiji from 3 to 7 June. Here, she shares what she witnessed, and how it changed her perceptions of optometry.

In June 2019, Bridget Field, a graduate optometrist at Specsavers Mount Maunganui in New Zealand, spent nine days participating in an outreach in Fiji facilitated by The Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand and supported by Specsavers. Here, Bridget provides a snapshot of life in Fiji that most tourists who visit the holiday destination may not be aware of.

Earlier this year, the Specsavers Graduate Program shattered two records: hosting its largest Graduate Induction event and having the highest number of graduates participating in the program at any one time. Spectrum speaks to Adam Buxton, Head of Graduate Recruitment and Development for Specsavers Australia & New Zealand, about the driving factors that have led to this surge of interest, as well as how the graduate program has evolved over the years.