Jodie Glanville completes the all-new Cert 3 BTEC course

Since launching last year, we have enrolled hundreds of colleagues on our new BTEC Cert 3 qualification. Jodie Glanville from Specsavers Plymouth was the very first person to complete the new style course and is already seeing the benefits it provides to her role.

New skills and practical knowledge with Cert 3

‘I use the knowledge I gained completing the Cert 3 every day in my job – it makes me more confident in my role and my plans for the future. My supervisor gave me a lot of time and support. I went to him with anything I was struggling with. If he wasn’t in, I could go to others who have completed Cert 3 or the optometrists for help. The course wasn’t hard because of the support I had,’ Says Jodie.

The qualification includes units from the regulated Pearson BTEC Level 3 Certificate for Optometric Clinical Assistant and Dispensing Assistant. What is truly unique about the programme is its flexibility. Learners can choose units that best align with their roles and responsibilities, providing a tailored learning experience. They can specialise as a Lab Technician, Clinical technician, Dispenser or Contact Lens Assistant.

Jodie continues, ‘As I am a dispenser, I plan to go onto Cert 4 in the future. I would strongly encourage others to gain the qualification. No matter what you do, you’re always going to have doubts in your mind, so it’s best to just jump in as you won’t regret it.’  

A benefit to colleagues and patients

Jodie’s optometrist director Helen Rixson and retail director Nathan Burn are full of praise for the programme as it provides great training for colleagues, which benefits patients. They add, ‘You could quantify it in a number of ways, anything from driving down remakes, better dispense measurements, to confidence in recommendations and also being able to provide a clear career path for our colleagues’.  

Specsavers Dispensing and Accredited Training Manager Kirsteen Newman explains, “As the optics sector diversifies, the role of the Optical Assistant is diversifying with it. This qualification will support learners who want to develop a specialism in one or more services provided by the sector. Clinical Technicians are well placed to become instrumental in the provision of future developments and emerging services such as tele-optometry.”