Optician Training Blog

Optician Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship is a type of occupational training meant to prepare individuals for a career in an industry through hands-on instruction in competencies or skill sets. This approach to education has been used for hundreds of years to help train new generations of workers in occupations such as carpentry, tailoring, baking, and others. Today, individuals wanting to work in the optician field often choose to complete an optician apprenticeship instead of a formal degree program.

The optician industry remains unregulated in approximately half of all states in the US. Because of the lack of regulations in many states, optical employers are often given the freedom to establish their own expectations for optician education, training, and certification. While employers in these states may not refer to the training process as an apprenticeship, the act of having a trained optician teach new opticians the skills they will need to be successful is a type of apprenticeship. In … Click Here to Continue Reading

Ophthalmic Career Progression Program

The NAO Ophthalmic Career Progression Program (OCPP) is a course of study that is offered by the National Academy of Opticianry (NAO) and has been designed to improve the competency of individuals who are already working as opticians. The primary objectives of the program are to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to become highly competent dispensers and to prepare them for the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) Certification Exam and any state licensing exams.

The OCPP is best suited for individuals who do not intend to complete an academic degree program in opticianry. It has been developed to provide a means by which working ophthalmic dispensers can gain the theoretical dispensing knowledge that is not usually taught in a clinical setting. The fact that the program can be completed at an individual’s own pace means that the optician can schedule their study time around the demands of a busy work day.… Click Here to Continue Reading

The Basics of Refractive Error Correction

The Basics of Refractive Error Correction

Part of the reason that the optical market has become such a large industry is the fact that prescription eye wear solves a physiological visual problem. The four most common refractive errors that people experience were discussed in the visual pathway article. These errors result in less than optimal vision and compel customers to spend money on corrective lenses. The fundamental principles of how lenses work were covered in the lens refraction article. An understanding of refraction is essential to conceptualizing the corrective process.

It is important to keep in mind that an optician’s specialized knowledge and skills relating to the use of lenses to correct visual problems is the foundation upon which the entire industry is built. An optician’s ability to provide the appropriate corrective lenses to customers is what sets them apart from large non-prescription optical retail sales establishments. Opticians who possess the skills necessary to provide the proper lenses, in … Click Here to Continue Reading