ABDO appoints Nick Walsh as sector skills development officer

Nick Walsh FBDO

The Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) has announced the appointment of Nick Walsh in the newly created position of Sector Skills Development Officer (SSDO).

In the new SSDO position, Nick Walsh will have responsibility for promoting all qualifications offered by both ABDO and the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (WCSM).

Nick Walsh, a qualified dispensing optician, is currently head of ophthalmic lenses and dispensing (UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain) at Specsavers and will commence his new role at ABDO in November.

Commenting on the appointment Tony Garrett, ABDO general secretary, said: “I’m delighted that Nick will be joining the ABDO team, he has extensive experience in delivering learning and development, as well researching technological advances for dispensing practices.

“In the new promotional role for ABDO and WCSM qualifications and courses run by ABDO College, Nick will engage directly with employers, promoting the very high standards offered by ABDO College and encouraging more people to train and gain nationally recognised optical qualifications.”

Upon the announcement of his appointment Nick Walsh said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to help employers discover the options open to them and their teams to build a career in optics, achieving this through the extensive range of courses provided by ABDO College and qualifications from both ABDO and WCSM. I’m looking forward to the new role and working with the College and industry employers in the near future.”