ABDO finalises college plans

ABDO general secretary, Anthony Garrett told delegates at FODO's extraordinary general meeting last week that the group was on course to achieve a project that had been discussed for some time. 'In the past four or five years there has been a strong feeling that ABDO could become a provider of education within its own college framework,' he said. 'There have been two reports in recent years on how this could happen. 'We are on a path to achieve this now. It is something we've been working on for six months, and we feel we have the right location in mind.' He said ABDO's objectives were to provide high-quality training to a consistent standard for students, and to provide residential and day courses on a wide range of topics. 'we also hope to provide a home base - a site where we can establish firmly our own continuing education and training programmes which we can take around the country,' he said. Mr Garrett told FODO delegates there had been 350 enquiries for the Brunel University distance-learning course in management skills which would start in January (News, October 1). Although designed for holders of ABDO's fellowship diploma, news of the course had attracted enquiries from optometrists as well as dispensing opticians. Mr Garrett said that there was a need for comprehensive training 'above and beyond dispensing'. This would include management, communication and marketing skills. From September, ABDO's second-year distance-learning students would have a six-week communication and selling package, and the third years would get a enhanced marketing course, he said. Mr Garrett also reaffirmed ABDO's intention to move some of its head office activities to a central London address, possibly sharing a location with another optical body.