Seventy-four optometry graduates, including 19 from New Zealand, have joined Specsavers stores in the organisation’s first intake for 2017. A further 40 graduates from Deakin University’s 2017 graduating cohort are expected to join Specsavers in July.
The first intake commenced their career with Specsavers with a three-day graduate induction at the franchise’s Port Melbourne Support Office, Manufacturing and Training Academy.
Through a combination of presentations and fun team activities, the graduates learned about Specsavers’ vision to provide affordable, high-quality eye care to everyone, and commitment to clinical excellence through use of state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment and ongoing professional development.
The graduates met with several members of Specsavers’ optometry support team, including Peter Larsen (Optometry Director), Dr. Ben Ashby (Optometry Development Manager) and Naomi Barber (Optometry Development Consultant), as well as Garry Fitzpatrick, a three-term Optometry Board of Australia Board Member.
The group also learned about Specsavers’ patient and customer focus and its community program, which involves ongoing fundraising initiatives to benefit local charities and The Fred Hollows Foundation. In partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation, Specsavers holds an annual outreach program, which provides graduates with the opportunity to travel overseas to improve their skills in underdeveloped countries.
A ‘My Region Rules’ competition gave the graduates the chance to get to know their regional Specsavers representatives and learn more about the locations in which they are practicing.
