Why apprenticeships are great for continued learning for current employees

It’s a big misconception that apprenticeships are just for new starters, but they’re also brilliant for current employees wanting to further their knowledge. Matt from the contact centre in our Nottingham office did just that.

Matt was already working for Specsavers when he applied for the Retail management apprenticeship to help him step up the career ladder. He knew he wanted to progress into a retail manager role so thought this would be the perfect way to gain both knowledge and experience.

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship at Specsavers?

I already worked at Specsavers and applied for the apprenticeship internally because I wanted to gain more exposure to the wider company and thought it would be a great step up the career ladder.

What has been your biggest achievement?

My biggest achievement this year is taking on my fear of public speaking, taking a course on the same subject and presenting to lots of high-level Specsavers faces.

Tells us a bit about your apprenticeship

My apprenticeship is in Retail management, my day job is managing a team in the contact centre, completing duty manager shifts in the contact centre and learning through Intec Business College all about Retail Management. Which covers things like where a business is situated it may make more or less money depending on local factors to Leadership styles.

How does Specsavers/your manager support you in your work/life/study balance?

My manager and Specsavers as a whole have been very supportive of my studies, allowing me time to go and work on projects when needed and providing help and support when needed.

What do you love about working at Specsavers?

I love the fact that even though the business keeps getting bigger and bigger it still feels like a close-knit family company.

What apprenticeship did you choose and what made you choose it?

I chose the Retail management apprenticeship as that is the area I wanted to progress into.

What advice would you give anyone wanting to do an apprenticeship with Specsavers?

The best advice I could give on a course where you ‘earn and learn’ is to make sure you stay on top of the work and ask for help if needed, as it can be hard to balance at first. But on the other hand, well worth it when you finish the qualification.

If you want to learn more about apprenticeships then click here.