ABDO College has opened applications for its ‘new and improved’ Senior Optical Assistant (OA) course.
The College’s Senior OA course is designed as the ideal next step for OAs working at a higher level. It is tailored to the needs of those who aspire to become senior OAs and future dispensing opticians. It is intended as a natural progression for those who have completed introductory training in optics, or have been working as an OA for some time and want to enhance their knowledge and skills.
The course now lasts a year, rather than two, and the content has been refined and updated to make it more relevant to the tasks a senior OA would undertake in practice. Students work through weekly assignments with the support of ABDO College webinars and advice and guidance from a personal tutor. Students should allow six to eight hours a week for study, and all course reading materials are provided as part of each unit.
The College’s introductory OA training course was launched last September with more than 120 students completing the course over the first two intakes. The Senior OA course fills the gap between that and the full length FBDO programmes offered by the College.
ABDO College head of operations, Steve Hertz, said: “Student and employer feedback is a key driver in how we develop courses, and it was clear that a one-year course to develop candidates with an existing working knowledge of optical practice would be very useful.
“Students who complete this, or our introductory Optical Assistant course, will be accepted onto the FBDO programme. For students who want to enhance their skills in smaller steps, following the Optical Assistant course with the Senior Optical Assistant course as a one-year programme provides a great solution,” Steve added.
The course takes one year in total and costs £950. The application deadline is 28 August 2020 for a September start.
For further information and to apply for this and other courses, visit www.abdocollege.org.uk