
DIRECTORS AT SPECSAVERS in Elgin have been visiting Elgin Academy where they supported ‘employability workshops’ that showcase pathways into a career in optometry.
The visit by local store directors Peter Taylor and Alison MacPherson allowed them to lead discussions and exercised that explored mock ethical and retail scenarios as well as answer questions that the students had.
Students were attending the workshop which is part of a careers programme touring the UK that has been developed by Specsavers under the banner ‘A Career with a View’, which seeks to inspire students into considering optometry.
Louise Iredale, who is head of graduate recruitment and development at Specsavers, explained: “Our aim was to promote the range of career options and pathways that are available within Specsavers. A great way to achieve this was to take the workplace into the classroom and engage with students interested in science and healthcare.
“We did extensive research ahead of these roadshows and found that there was an appetite for technology. This was a great platform to showcase all of Specsavers cutting edge equipment and expertise in this field to inspire the students.
“A Career with a View is being continually developed and is still in the pilot stage but our recent event at Elgin Academy was a great success.”
Peter Taylor added: “It was great to see the students engaged in the different elements of the workshop and contributing to the discussions.
“I am delighted that Elgin was chosen as an area to roll out the careers programme and we could support the roadshow at our local academy. I think it’s a valuable resource to reach out to students and showcase all that Specsavers has to offer.”
Research undertaken following the pilot workshops found that 78% of students who took part said the activities made them consider their wider career options with 51% considering a career in optometry.
The programme appears to have a bright future as all of the teachers involved said they would recommend the ‘A Career with a View’ to other schools.