Kristy Jackson
Optical Professional Development Manager, Asda Opticians
The best opticians help their support staff reach their full potential with professional development programmes. That way, the right people are in place to serve patients.
At an appointment with your local optician, it’s not only the optometrist — the fully qualified professional who performs sight tests and writes prescriptions — who is there to make your visit as pleasant as possible. Various support staff will also guide you through your appointment. With the right qualifications, they can carry out pre-screening tests, advise on eye care and make adjustments to your spectacles to ensure they fit properly.
Role of dispensing opticians and training available
This year, for the first time, Asda Opticians has introduced various professional development programmes to support the career progression of these colleagues. For example, it now gives its hourly paid optical colleagues the chance to become a General Optical Council-registered dispensing optician, via a three-year Level 6 Dispensing Optician apprenticeship. This is delivered by their chosen training provider ABDO College, a training centre for optical professionals established by the Association of British Dispensing Opticians.
“A dispensing optician does not carry out sight tests,” explains Kristy Jackson, Optical Professional Development Manager at Asda Opticians. “Instead, these are optical professionals whose professional qualifications allow them to manage and advise on more complex prescriptions and optical needs. For instance, only fully qualified dispensing opticians can dispense prescriptions to under-16s.”
We’re making sure the next generation
of optical professionals are available
to enter the industry.
Professional development opportunities
A diploma in Contact Lens Practice is also available, so Dispensing Optician Optical Managers can develop their professional skills and become contact lens opticians. These optical professionals do not carry out eye tests either but have the specialist knowledge and qualifications to fit and assess contact lenses.
Additionally, Asda Opticians is opening a pre-registration optometrist programme in 2025, which it will deliver in partnership with Optom Academy. “Optometry degree students have to complete a year in practice, gaining clinical experience before they sit their final examinations,” says Jackson. “Successful candidates will soon be able to complete that year with us, under the direct supervision of a qualified and registered optometrist.”
Optometry talent growth and retention
There are numerous reasons why these professional development pathways are important. “Firstly, they help our people reach their full potential,” notes Jackson. “Secondly, training skilled support staff gives us a chance to grow and retain our own talent, so we have the right professionals serving our patients. Thirdly, optometry faces difficult recruitment challenges in parts of the country. We’re making sure the next generation of optical professionals are available to enter the industry and serve communities’ eye care needs.”
