On course for

The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (SMC) has a long history of providing education for optical manufacturing technicians and practice support staff with training programmes and qualifications.
However, changes within the industry, particularly the introduction of automated equipment in manufacturing and retailing concepts in optical practice, mean that the current training programmes and qualifications have been increasingly perceived as outdated.
The English novelist and scientist
C P Snow once said that no one could claim to be educated unless they could describe the second law of thermodynamics and had read a work by Shakespeare. And while neither of these will be included on SMC courses, for the Company to continue 'to enhance the craft' and ensure clear routes to career progression, there must be changes and additions to its education package.
'It was obvious that we needed to take a long hard look at ourselves, our service provisions and our image,' says the SMC's chairman of awards, Gordon Jones. 'The first thing we did was to commission a market research programme to understand how industry owners, management and employees viewed the Company's offerings, its training activities and its qualifications.'
The research identified three key items:

SMC qualifications are well regarded and have a high standing among those who are aware of them
Knowledge of SMC's awards and training programmes is not as prevalent as it should be
Training and publicity materials need upgrading and restyling.

Following this recently concluded research, a working group has developed a five-year plan and investment programme to enhance and develop the positives and at the same time rebrand and reposition the SMC training and qualifications programme in the ophthalmic marketplace.

ADDING VALUE
Jones explains: 'We have to tell people that our awards and training are modern, excellent and relevant. Then we need to encourage practices and companies in our industry to become more focused on their employees' career development as a means to improved service, quality and profitability. We also need to encourage the optical industry training organisations to target SMC qualifications as an end point of their training and, equally important, obtain government funding support for students and employers. The overall message we are delivering is that we are adding value and delivering expertise and skills and it is vitally important we succeed.'

CLEAN, GREEN LOOK
The new SMC logo for the awards and training activities (pictured above) is intended to deliver a bright, fresh image that will appeal to younger people in optics, while also retaining a feel of the Company's 375 years of heritage. 'Logo styles are such subjective things,' says Jones, 'but we hope we've succeeded in achieving our aim of making people take a fresh look at what we offer.'
What the SMC offers will obviously determine its future success or failure, but the prospect of failure is clearly not on the agenda at the Company's historic London headquarters, Apothecaries' Hall.
Chairman of training, David Walker, points to the newly designed courses, tailored to meet the demands of technicians and support staff. 'We have examined every aspect of our course content and improved and updated them in line with current demand. For example, the new Level 2 Certificate in Optical Practice Support recognises the increasingly important role played by support staff. The change in name from optical receptionist to optical practice support is in itself a significant one, because it acknowledges that support staff play a much greater role than just "meeting and greeting" in modern practice. When properly trained - and this, of course, is the key to success - they provide a vital link between the customer and the optician.
'They should be capable of talking to customers on a range of topics, from basic ocular anatomy, to lens design, coating and tints.
'This is what the course is designed to do and anyone completing it will more than meet such criteria, and thereby be able to play a pivotal and profitable role in their practice. Opticians need staff who can provide the support to enable them to concentrate on what they are professionally trained to do. This Level 2 Certificate does precisely that. It makes support staff more competent, leaving the optician freer to focus on patient care and the areas of business that require professional expertise.'
The SMC has also begun its marketing strategy for the new courses with a direct mail campaign for the Level 2 Certificate in Optical Practice Support correspondence course. Over 3,500 practices have received the mailshot and a follow up telesales operation has made certain the message has reached the correct people.
EXAM FIRST
Further mailshots will target manufacturers with information on the restructured courses for optical technicians. The Level 3 Certificate for Optical Technicians has been reviewed and a new Level 2 Certificate in Optical Production Processes is being introduced shortly.
This new course aims to be relevant for an industry that is becoming more high-tech and which places greater emphasis on information technology. It also focuses on personal development and team working and covers the full breadth of manufacturing processes, from receipt of order to despatch. There will be options within the course, which allow for the qualification to be tailored to both spectacle and coated lens manufacture. 'It is the first examination ever available for contact lens technicians,' notes Jones.
'We don't want to lose sight of traditional values, but our courses and qualifications must strike a chord with those we wish to attract. That means they have to feel that what they are learning is practical, useful and will help them as individuals to progress.'
The SMC has also been approved as an 'awarding body' by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). In addition, the Level 2 Certificates in Optical Practice Support and Optical Production Processes and the Level 3 Certificate for Optical Technicians are all accredited to the National Qualifications Framework.
Over the next 12 months, the SMC Awards Committee will be finalising the syllabuses and gaining accreditation for Level 3 Certificate in Optical Production Processes and Level 3 Optical Practice Support.
'The really exciting thing about the Level 2 Certificate is that, in addition to being a stand-alone qualification, it will also be a crucial element in the soon to be approved government apprenticeship programme. Apprenticeships are a key plank for enhancing the skills of people wishing to join, develop and grow in our practices and manufacturing outlets.
'It may be that some people question the need for training and continuing education but, if you think education is expensive, try ignorance,' Jones concludes.