Optical Assistant Apprentice

VISION EXPRESS LIMITED

Bristol (BS1 3HF)

Closes on Friday 31 October 2025

Posted on 23 September 2025

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Contents

Summary

This vacancy is for an Apprentice Optical Assistant based in Bristol. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to undertake valuable work experience within Vison Express supporting day to day tasks whilst gaining on the job qualifications.

Wage

£14,722.50 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
Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 5.00pm.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 10 November 2025

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

Conduct and Legalisation:

  • Demonstrate and promote adherence to company policy, procedure, professional standards and legal obligations,
    including Data Protection, Health & Safety and all GOC regulatory legislation requirements
  • To ensure all in-store administration is completed accurately and all manual and computerised customer records
    are maintained in accordance with company guidelines and relevant data protection laws
  • To have a good working knowledge of the Vision Express Ways of Working
  • To take personal responsibility for own development ensuring regulatory e-learning is completed efficiently and be
    proactive in maintaining and developing knowledge through participation in company development programmes
  • Maintain the highest store standards possible, including the appearance of both store and own personal
    presentation

Sales and Service:

  • To act as a Vision Express brand ambassador creating a welcoming environment for all customers and ensuring their expectations are exceeded throughout the customer journey
  • To relentlessly deliver the best customer service through the Vision Express Ways of Working and behaviours, every day to every customer
  • To support the management team in achieving the required targeted growth in sales and profit
  • To deliver a seamless customer journey through the meeting/greeting, offering of refreshments, initial eye examinations, dispensing, fitting and collections of every Vision Express customer
  • To provide accurate and knowledgeable advice and guidance to meet each customers specific needs through the recommendations made, selection and purchase of all types of eye-wear and eye-care solutions
  • To conduct eyewear repairs and order replacements when required
  • To participate in all stock take activity as determined by the management team
  • Key holder duties after successful completion of silver training (if and when required)
  • Make decisions within the agreed scope of your role on matters relating to the day to day retail operation within your store, escalate to line manager where required

Team Work and Communication:

  • To maintain good and professional working relationships with the store team
  • Attend and participate in morning briefs and team meetings
  • To provide honest feedback to the management team to support ongoing improvements
  • Any other duties or responsibilities as reasonably requested by line management

Additional Responsibilities:

Where applicable, to use in-store laboratory equipment in the production and manufacture of high quality eyewear
ensuring:

  • The quality of eyewear produced is compliant with company standards and produced within the agreed timeframe
  • All laboratory equipment is maintained/calibrated in accordance with company guidelines
  • Effective lens usage in accordance with company guidance/policy and thus contribution to store cost control
  • The laboratory lens and consumable stock levels are stored correctly and in accordance with company policy
  • Duties may vary in accordance with customer demand and store structure

Where you'll work

9 Broadmead
Bristol
BS1 3HF

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)
  • Maths (grade 4)

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
  • Customer care skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Team working
  • Patience

About this employer

We opened our first Vision Express store over thirty years ago in Gateshead. Today we now have over 550 stores across the UK and Ireland. A lot of things have changed over the years, but our number one goal has stayed the same. We want to make life that bit easier and more enjoyable for our customers.

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 VAC1000343492.

Apply now

Closes on Friday 31 October 2025

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