Berwick mum eyes up a new career thanks to Specsavers apprenticeship scheme

Emily Rutherford, 21, joined the team at Specsavers in Marygate as an apprentice optical assistant in October last year.

The mum-of-one worked as a waitress at a local restaurant which helped her financially even though it was forced to temporarily close.

She found herself looking at a sector she’d never considered before – and hasn’t looked back.

Emily said: ‘When I noticed that my local Specsavers store was looking to take on an apprentice, I had to apply.

"I was out of work due to lockdown and things weren’t looking good in the job market. I thought that an apprenticeship would be a great opportunity to hopefully build a career for myself.

“I have a young daughter to support, so I was keen to find a long-term job which would also allow me to learn and progress. I knew if I could get a job at Specsavers it would help set me and my little girl up for the future.

“I was over the moon to hear my application had been successful. I’m really enjoying the job and have learned so much in a short time. The team are lovely and have been really supportive in helping me to progress.’

Since joining Specsavers, Emily has been building her knowledge of vision problems, eye care and products, as well as helping customers.

Emily added: “I hope to successfully complete my apprenticeship in September and go on to gain certifications which will allow me to eventually become a qualified dispensing optician.”

Vicky Davidson, store director, said: “Emily has been a fantastic addition to the team and we’re delighted to have her on board. She has a great work ethic and is a very quick learner so her help has been invaluable.

“It’s really important to us that we do all we can to support young people in finding a career path. The past year has been particularly difficult and unfortunately finding work is proving tough for many young people as a result of the pandemic.

“We’re very fortunate that through our apprenticeship scheme we’re able to invest in nourishing local talent and help people like Emily to develop a successful career in optics.”

The dramatic events of the pandemic are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on your support through buying our newspaper. If you can, please pick up a copy of the newspaper when you are at the shops. Thank you.