Optics joins Skills for Health programme

Optics has secured the right to be included in the government's Skills for Health (SfH) programme, an independent voluntary initiative to review occupational standards and competencies.

SfH will take over the responsibility for reviewing and developing relevant qualifications, national occupational standards and competencies, with the aim of 'bringing them up to date', according to the Optical Sector Steering Group (OSSG) which lobbied for this inclusion.

Competence tools to be developed by SfH will be aimed at assisting practitioners with workforce planning, staff appraisals, identifying skills gaps and managing the training and development of existing staff and new recruits.

One of SfH's first tasks will be to work with employers, professional organisations and awarding bodies to move forward the existing National Qualifications Framework qualifications into a new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).