From Apprentice to Apprenticeship Coach

From Apprentice to Apprenticeship Coach, Abbie Stacey tells us about her Specsavers journey, and why she thinks Apprenticeships are so valuable to anyone who has the ambition to succeed, regardless of whether they know which direction they want to go.   

Becoming an Apprentice 

“Before joining Specsavers I had just finished my GCSE's and was working part-time (evenings and weekends) at a local Chinese restaurant. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career, so in 2016 I saw an Apprenticeship opportunity in a Specsavers store which I thought looked quite good; I’d heard of Specsavers before, so it felt somewhat familiar. I had no knowledge, experience, or understanding of the world of optics when I applied, but to my delight, I was offered the position and I of course accepted.  

I really enjoyed my Apprenticeship – it was really varied and enabled me to learn so much about Optics, as well as customer service and how to work well as part of a team. I took a particular liking to Optics as I didn’t realise how fascinating it is, and the technology that’s used to look at our eye health is incredible. Once I completed my Apprenticeship, I worked as an Optical Assistant in-store. Though, still keen to learn more, I went on to complete a distance-learning course at college for 3 years and qualified as a Dispensing Optician in 2020. I was so proud of this achievement – it was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it. To anyone who thinks Optics is boring or dull, it’s really not. Give it a go, you’ll be surprised.;

From Apprentice to Apprenticeship Coach

Being an Apprentice myself, I found I had a natural passion for Apprenticeships and supporting others to learn. I had such a good experience and learned so much in my Apprenticeship, that I feel strongly about others having the chance to have the same opportunity and experience as I had. So, when I saw the role of an Apprenticeship Coach become available in my area, I knew I had to apply. Being able to give the same level of support, development, and encouragement to Apprentices as I got from my Apprentice Coach is great – there’s no better feeling than helping others to succeed; not just completing their qualification and securing a job with a promising career, but those all-important life skills that are learned along the way too. Seeing Apprentices' build their confidence both personally and professionally gives me a great sense of pride. I always feel appreciated and supported by my team and have a great work-life balance. I wouldn't have achieved what I have today if I hadn't started my career as an Apprentice all those years ago, so I feel like I'm now giving back by supporting others.

Apprenticeships can lead to so many opportunities you aren’t even aware of. You get so much support throughout your programme and get to meet some amazing people. I’d recommend an Apprenticeship at Specsavers where you can learn, build confidence, and achieve things you may never have thought would be possible”.