A Week In The Life Of An Apprentice Optical Assistant – ABDO Careers In Eyecare

Thomas Gluyas is an apprentice optical assistant. Read on to find out more about his working week! PLUS: Check out Careers In Eyecare for more inspiration.

Every Monday I receive a two-and-a-half-hour online lesson on a topic related to the optical industry. These topics have been appropriate to the level of knowledge I had at the time and have progressed week on week. For example earlier lessons included the patient journey and good record keeping whereas a recent lesson was on facial measurements. 

Sometimes I already have an understanding of the content in the lessons from my experience in practice. Having a day set aside to reiterate the knowledge I already have and to cover new content is extremely helpful and is not something you would get in employment without doing an apprenticeship. 

The Woodspeen team have been very supportive when I’ve needed help with my online learning. They clearly explained at the start of the course who to contact for help, how to contact them and they’ve always been swift in their response. 

I’ve taken on more complex tasks at work as the weeks have gone by. My responsibilities early in the course were paperwork and answering the phone. As time has gone on I now repair and fit glasses and conduct simple dispenses under the observation of our dispensing optician.

I work in a small independent practice with a talented, friendly and supportive team. They have all been very helpful in getting me up to speed in a role I had almost no knowledge of when I started six months ago. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of starting something completely new and having to learn quickly. The fact I’m walking distance from work and there is a clear path for me to turn this into a career makes my apprenticeship work feel very worthwhile. 

See my tips for getting the most out of an optical assistant apprenticeship