Apprentice Optical Assistant

SNK EYECARE LTD

Sheerness, Sittingbourne

Closes on Friday 26 June 2026

Posted on 12 May 2026

Print

Contents

Summary

John Frewin Opticians are a respected independent practice serving Sittingbourne and Sheerness. This is an exciting opportunity to begin a rewarding career in optics, gaining hands-on experience in patient care, eyewear styling and practice operations while working towards recognised apprenticeship qualifications.

Wage

£15,600 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course
Optical assistant 2022 (level 3)
Hours
To be confirmed in interview.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 6 July 2026

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

This is a fantastic opportunity to begin a rewarding career in optics with John Frewin Opticians, a respected independent practice where exceptional patient care and personalised service are at the heart of everything we do.

As an Apprentice Optical Assistant, you will become an important part of our team, gaining hands-on experience in a professional clinical environment while working towards recognised apprenticeship qualifications. You will develop valuable skills in customer care, dispensing support, optical products and clinical assistance, building strong foundations for a long-term career in the optical profession.

The duties within this role include:

  • Welcoming patients in a warm, professional, and friendly manner, ensuring an excellent first impression of the practice
  • Assisting patients with choosing spectacle frames that are comfortable, suitable, and aligned with their lifestyle and visual needs
  • Explaining the features and benefits of frames, lenses, coatings, and optical products in clear, easy-to-understand language
  • Taking accurate measurements to support the dispensing of spectacles
  • Adjusting spectacle frames to ensure comfort, fit, and stability, as well as carrying out minor repairs
  • Ordering prescription spectacles and contact lenses accurately and efficiently
  • Supporting NHS paperwork, administrative tasks, and maintaining accurate patient records in line with company procedures
  • Booking appointments and follow-up visits for patients
  • Learning to interpret optical prescriptions and understand how they relate to vision and eyewear requirements
  • Using optical equipment such as a focimeter to analyse spectacle prescriptions
  • Carrying out pre-screening tests including retinal imaging, visual field analysis, and intraocular pressure measurements
  • Supporting patients with contact lens collections, guidance, and product information
  • Taking payments and assisting with day-to-day customer queries
  • Working closely with the wider team to deliver an exceptional patient experience
  • Developing problem-solving skills to assist with basic optical concerns and patient queries

As your skills and confidence grow, you’ll have opportunities to develop further within the practice, gaining wider experience in dispensing, clinical support, and other areas of optical care.

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

  • 7 Broadway, Sheerness, ME12 1AB
  • 114 High Street, Sittingbourne, ME10 4PL

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

TRAINING 2000 LIMITED

Training course

Optical assistant 2022 (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Deliver customer service which aligns with company values, beliefs and purposes
  • Identify when and who to refer to when supervision is required such as ocular emergencies, screening, dispensing and collections of restricted categories
  • Work within the limits of policies, procedures, and regulated activity such as GDPR, NHS, GOC, Health and Safety at Work and safeguarding
  • Follow employer’s guidelines and expectations for presentation and team working
  • Identify and meet customer needs within the optical environment
  • Communicate with customers and the optical team to maximise understanding
  • Refer customers needing communication support such as language, hearing, visual or learning difficulties to appropriate services
  • Follow health and safety legislation in the optical environment including customer safety, hygiene, and infection control
  • Follow safe use instructions when using optical equipment such as adjustment tools, screening equipment and measuring equipment
  • Follow procedures and processes for first aid, accident and incident reporting or evacuations
  • Provide the benefits and limitations of the different services (e.g. sight tests, contact lenses) and extended services (e.g. minor eye condition services, low vision services) to the customers within the optical environment
  • Offer non-prescribed products such as contact lens solutions, common ophthalmic drops, ready readers, magnifiers, and other accessories to customers
  • Select appointments, recall information, appointment types and exemptions on the employer’s system, and maintain accurate records, e.g. customer details
  • Report and record ocular emergencies following correct employer procedures
  • Accurately prepare clinical records for use following employer procedures
  • Accurately complete customer pre-appointment procedures
  • Use product tolerances to validate product accuracy
  • Use lens measuring equipment to identify prescriptions and lens measurements
  • Identify lens types using engravings such as progressive lenses and safety spectacles and remark lenses where required
  • Interpret the spectacle prescription to identify a range of vision correction options suitable for the customer
  • Offer suitable lens products to the customer based on customer needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer specialised products to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer suitable frames to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Identify frame fitting suitability including facial, frame and spectacle lens measurements required to process spectacle orders for the customer
  • Process spectacle orders, payments and arrange collections, offering relevant promotions to the customer where appropriate
  • Identify and check visual acuity for near vision spectacle, explaining adaption as required
  • Fit spectacle frames through the use of questioning, measurements, and tools
  • Use tools correctly to adjust frame without causing damage
  • Provide advice and guidance on frame fitting, lens care and after sales service
  • Identify guarantees and warranties of optical products and adhere to the legal requirements for consumers
  • Manage customer concerns and or complaints in line with employer procedures
  • Use problem solving techniques to identify concern and or complaint causes
  • Communicate with customers to resolve concerns or complaints within the limits of their own authority
  • Follow remake procedures
  • Follow repair procedures
  • Recognise and resolve customer complaints e.g. poor fitting, incorrect measurements, or offer alternative options in line with business requirements
  • Participate in training and development activities to maintain own practice
  • Participate in appraisal, obtain feedback, and use self-reflection to plan further development opportunities and identify available career opportunities to support progression
  • Adapt approach for customers with ocular conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes
  • Conduct screening using screening equipment and record accurate results
  • Inform the patient about the equipment, processes and procedures used for screening
  • Gain support or guidance from colleagues during screening when required
  • Inform the patient that the tests check for medical conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes
  • Demonstrate contact lens handling and insertion and removal to a patient
  • Show the patient how to care for their lens
  • Provide advice and guidance on cleaning of lenses and solution types
  • Follow out of hours emergency procedures
  • Recognise a customer’s ability to make an informed decision
  • Tell the customer what the sight test includes and how it is carried out
  • Work independently to plan and manage workload
  • Assess and mitigate risk in patient’s home to ensure an appropriate eye test can be delivered
  • Mange own wellbeing and resources
  • Maintain team communications when working remotely
  • Deliver customer service which aligns with company values, beliefs and purposes
  • Identify when and who to refer to when supervision is required such as ocular emergencies, screening, dispensing and collections of restricted categories
  • Work within the limits of policies, procedures, and regulated activity such as GDPR, NHS, GOC, Health and Safety at Work and safeguarding
  • Follow employer’s guidelines and expectations for presentation and team working
  • Identify and meet customer needs within the optical environment
  • Communicate with customers and the optical team to maximise understanding
  • Refer customers needing communication support such as language, hearing, visual or learning difficulties to appropriate services
  • Follow health and safety legislation in the optical environment including customer safety, hygiene, and infection control
  • Follow safe use instructions when using optical equipment such as adjustment tools, screening equipment and measuring equipment
  • Follow procedures and processes for first aid, accident and incident reporting or evacuations
  • Provide the benefits and limitations of the different services (e.g. sight tests, contact lenses) and extended services (e.g. minor eye condition services, low vision services) to the customers within the optical environment
  • Offer non-prescribed products such as contact lens solutions, common ophthalmic drops, ready readers, magnifiers, and other accessories to customers
  • Select appointments, recall information, appointment types and exemptions on the employer’s system, and maintain accurate records, e.g. customer details
  • Report and record ocular emergencies following correct employer procedures
  • Accurately prepare clinical records for use following employer procedures
  • Accurately complete customer pre-appointment procedures
  • Use product tolerances to validate product accuracy
  • Use lens measuring equipment to identify prescriptions and lens measurements
  • Identify lens types using engravings such as progressive lenses and safety spectacles and remark lenses where required
  • Interpret the spectacle prescription to identify a range of vision correction options suitable for the customer
  • Offer suitable lens products to the customer based on customer needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer specialised products to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Offer suitable frames to the customer based on their needs and preferences, using features and benefits to highlight suitability
  • Identify frame fitting suitability including facial, frame and spectacle lens measurements required to process spectacle orders for the customer
  • Process spectacle orders, payments and arrange collections, offering relevant promotions to the customer where appropriate
  • Identify and check visual acuity for near vision spectacle, explaining adaption as required
  • Fit spectacle frames through the use of questioning, measurements, and tools
  • Use tools correctly to adjust frame without causing damage
  • Provide advice and guidance on frame fitting, lens care and after sales service
  • Identify guarantees and warranties of optical products and adhere to the legal requirements for consumers
  • Manage customer concerns and or complaints in line with employer procedures
  • Use problem solving techniques to identify concern and or complaint causes
  • Communicate with customers to resolve concerns or complaints within the limits of their own authority
  • Follow remake procedures
  • Follow repair procedures
  • Recognise and resolve customer complaints e.g. poor fitting, incorrect measurements, or offer alternative options in line with business requirements
  • Participate in training and development activities to maintain own practice
  • Participate in appraisal, obtain feedback, and use self-reflection to plan further development opportunities and identify available career opportunities to support progression
  • Adapt approach for customers with ocular conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes

Training schedule

This training schedule has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4/C or above)
  • Maths (grade 4/C or above)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • IT skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Team working
  • Initiative

Other requirements

Driving Licence- desirable

About this employer

SNK Eyecare Ltd is an active private limited company incorporated on April 13, 2017, specializing in operating NHS optician branches.

http://www.johnfrewinopticians.co.uk (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

The successful candidate will work towards achieving a Level 3 qualification in optical and gain experience in a busy optical practice.

Upon completion of the Level 3 qualification, you will be an experienced and qualified optical assistant, and as such, you can continue building up skills that will always be in demand. Career breaks and part time working are often possible.

  • You could go on to acquire higher level optical qualifications such as
  • Ophthalmic Dispensing- Become a qualified Dispensing Optician
  • Contact lens Optician - fit Contact lenses
  • Low vision specialist - help people where traditional spectacles will not suffice. Supply low vision aids, magnifiers, advice on improving contrast and on other non-Optical aids such as bump-ons
  • Optometry courses - carry out full eye examinations and issue prescriptions
  • Clinical representative- visiting practices introducing new frame ranges and Ophthalmic lenses
  • In-practice trainer - You could use your knowledge to train others

Other non-clinical roles:

  • Practice Management, you could complete a management course
  • Practice ownership, you could go into business yourself, partnership or franchise

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

TRAINING 2000 LIMITED

Levi Hoyle

levi.hoyle@t2000.co.uk

0125454659

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000031046.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 26 June 2026