Apprenticeship Β· earn while you train Β· live UK standard from the careers engine
Apprenticeship

Dispensing optician

Level
6
Degree level
Length
3 yrs
typical
Sector
Health and science
Pay
Paid
you earn while training

In a nutshell

Give advice on vision care, and supply glasses and contact lenses to suit their customers needs.

What you'd do

Interpret optical prescriptions issued by optometrists or ophthalmologists
Take facial measurements including pupillary distance and segment height
Help patients choose frames that suit their face, lifestyle, and prescription
Order lenses from laboratory and check finished spectacles before fitting
Adjust and repair spectacle frames to ensure a comfortable fit
Teach contact lens insertion, removal, and care to new wearers
Maintain accurate patient records and recall systems

What you'd learn

Optics and visual science: how lenses work and how prescriptions are written
Taking and recording accurate facial and optical measurements
Frame selection, adjustment, and fitting techniques for different face types
Contact lens types, fitting principles, and aftercare advice
GOC professional standards, registration requirements, and ethics
Dispensing for children, the elderly, and people with complex prescriptions
Lens technology: coatings, materials, and specialist lens types
Ready to look for a place?
See live Dispensing optician apprenticeship vacancies on the official government service.
Find vacancies
A Careermash concept Β· apprenticeship standard from our careers engine Β· vacancies via gov.uk.

Career data: role, pay and progression profiles built for Careermash's careers engine; AI-impact estimates from Anthropic's observed AI-usage telemetry and OpenAI's AI Jobs Transition Framework. Course data: HESA / Discover Uni, including Graduate Outcomes, LEO and the National Student Survey. Apprenticeships: IfATE-published standards, approved only.

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