New avenues for contact lens opticians

Claudio Tarantino is a trailblazer for dispensing and contact lens opticians who want to expand their clinical practice.  He has achieved accreditation under the contact lens optician Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC) Minor Eye Conditions (MECS) scheme. It means Claudio can do more to support his patients and the NHS. Primary eye care practitioners triage, manage, and prioritise patients presenting with a minor eye condition. Claudio Tarantino of Specsavers Stratford-upon-Avon has taken an extra qualification to manage patients with minor…

Work experience tips for employers

Have you thought about offering work experience but don't know where to start? We've got tips and resources to help. Have a plan. Don't wait until the student turns up but work out activities for each day that will show them a range of aspects of the business. Think about what sort of student you are looking for - someone who is studying for GCSEs or Alevels? You can also offer work experience to someone who wants to change career.…

Event: have you thought about running your own business?

Becoming a dispensing optician or optometrist gives you a range of options for your career. Some people may enjoy the clinical side of the role, while others may like to focus on management and retail. If you would like to have control over all aspects of the business, have you thought about running your own optical practice? You can discover more about running a practice at the ABDO Become an Independent Optician twilight session. This event is free of charge…

Flexible bank and locum careers in eyecare

If you are still at school or college you may want to know more about which careers offer flexible ways to work. There are plenty of ways to work flexibly when you work in eyecare, and in this article we look at being a locum. A locum is a stand-in for a regular member of staff. You can find locum doctors, optometrists and opticians. Nurses, support workers and health care assistants can also work flexibly. You might hear about working…

Five ways to support National Careers Week

Monday sees the start of National Careers Week 2022 and it is the perfect time to promote the role of the dispensing optician and showcase other careers in eyecare. Here are five ways you can support careers week: Use your social media channels to highlight the role you have in eyecare. Tell your career story and share why other should consider a career in eyecare.If you have social media channels for your optical practice then you could share a post…

Careers Award for ABDO

For the second year running, the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) has won an award for its Careers in Eyecare campaign from Youth Employment UK. ABDO is the winner of the Creating Opportunity #YouthFriendlyEmployer Award. The award was presented on 7 December by the Minister for Employment, Mims Davies MP, in an online ceremony, at the Youth Employment UK Youth Friendly Employer Awards. Laura-Jane RawlingsMims Davies MP Laura-Jane Rawlings CEO of Youth Employment commented, “ABDO has provided opportunities for…

Careers in Eyecare – a year in review

What a year it’s been for Careers in Eyecare working with Youth Employment UK. Having started our journey at the start of 2020, we’ve managed to achieve a lot to help young people and old to understand the great career options in the world of eyecare and eyewear, winning Youth Employment UK’s Best Newcomer award for 2020 along the way. Careers in Eyecare is a campaign initiated by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, but right from the start the…

Is an apprenticeship for your business?

The National Apprenticeship Scheme has been in place since 2009, and apprenticeships have a long tradition in the United Kingdom, but some employers in the optical industry have yet to embrace them. Read on to hear how optical apprenticeships can benefit you, your staff and your business. Mandy Boucher is a tutor on the level 2 optical assistant apprenticeship and says, “This is a way to empower learners to engage through hands-on learning.” As a dispensing optician (DO) with more…

What’s it like to be a STEM Ambassador?

Firstly, I will point out that I am new to being a STEM Ambassador. I took the plunge a couple of months back and went through the process as outlined on their website. STEM offers great support and guidance, including training materials that take you through the application process. They even handle the DBS for you. My motivation was really as an extension of the Careers in Eyecare work that ABDO has engaged with. Becoming an Ambassador seemed like a…