A 21-YEAR-old from Andover who suffers with Asperger’s is celebrating graduating from a coveted apprenticeship with national optician.

James Collier has taken up a full-time post at the Andover Vision Express store after completing the 13-month employee-embedded scheme, which received a record number of applicants for its 2018 intake.

At the graduation ceremony on June 27 James was presented with a Special Recognition award for his determination to succeed over the course of the programme.

James, who suffers from Asperger's, was chosen for the award for putting himself outside of his comfort zone on a daily basis to be the absolute best he can be.

James had tried his hand at various industries during college, but he said he finally found himself excelling at Vision Express.

“I studied animal care, mechanics and IT at college but none of the courses were what I was expecting,” he said.

“I’m keen to continue in optics as the experience has massively improved my communication and interpersonal skills.”

James has achieved a Level 2, Intermediate Apprenticeship in Health (Optical Retail), which is equivalent to five GCSEs.

The apprenticeship scheme is just one way Vision Express is helping tackle the issue of youth unemployment in the UK. It was the first retailer to join The Five Per Cent Club, pledging to have five per cent of its UK workforce comprising young people on structured training schemes over five years.

Matt Burton, head of learning and development at Vision Express said: “We are thrilled to be inspiring so many young people into an apprenticeship programme with Vision Express. Supporting people in taking their first steps into both retail and optical careers, has always been important to us and we are incredibly proud of James, whose enthusiasm for apprenticeships is very genuine and contagious and we feel very privileged to be bringing the talent of the future into our business”.

Vision Express chief executive Onur Köksal added: “Apprentices are an important injection of fresh talent into our business, and we’re committed to supporting them through their retail and optical careers. We’re proud to be able to provide our own apprenticeship scheme that offers youngsters with a passion to learn, real opportunities to progress. Our apprentices have gone on to manage stores, become dispensing opticians and even study an Optometry degree, showing the breath of opportunities available.”