Chloe Few, 19 will continue to work at the Vision Express store in Oxford Street after graduating

A teenager has been one of the first to graduate from a optician chain’s new apprenticeship programme.

Chloe Few, 19, from Islington, qualified from the Vision Express apprenticeship programme with a Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship in Health (Optical Retail) at a celebratory graduation ceremony held for 13 graduates at the company’s Nottingham head office.

The highly competitive scheme which accepted its first trainees in February 2014, is the equivalent of five GCSEs and will continue to employ Chloe at the Oxford Street branch of the company.

Chloe said: “I chose the apprenticeship because it allowed me to gain valuable experience while I was working, so I’m earning and learning.

“It’s the first job that has built my self-confidence and helped me gain knowledge in helping customers with their eye health.”