Specsavers highlights optics as a career option

Specsavers aimed to inspire students to consider optometry and audiology as a career option when it exhibited at a careers fair attended by 80,000 STEM students.

Held in Birmingham on 14–17 March, a team of 40 Specsavers staff ran interactive workshops during the Big Bang Fair for students from school years seven to 10 and years 11–13 who are currently studying science, mathematics, technology and engineering.

A range of store directors, optometrists, head of enhanced optical services, early careers team members and audiologists from Specsavers delivered the workshops that aimed to be both fun and educational.

Demonstrations of ophthalmoscopes, otoscopes and optical coherence tomography were also given, while students had the opportunity to use an app that has been developed by City, University of London that allows users to view the world like a glaucoma sufferer.

Speaking about the fair, Specsavers early careers manager, Lucy Knock, said: “We know that optometry and audiology are some of the best kept secrets in healthcare careers and this needs to change if we are going to have a sustainable profession. We are committed to building relationships with the next generation of optometrists and audiologists at major events such as the Big Bang Fair, as well as local careers fairs and in local schools.”