There's an awful lot of interest in the optical workforce now and how that demographic will affect the profession's future. There has been much talk about optometry's make up but it is a topic many have found too sensitive to comment on. Sadly, as seems to be the way, little has been shared with the profession.
Social engineering in the profession started over 10 years ago when salaries started to head skyward. FODO boosted the supply of optometrists coming into the market to drive salaries down. Salaries did fall but employers continued to remark on the difficulty in getting professionals with certain skills and to the regions.
The feminisation of optometry is well noted, along with questions about what it will mean for working patterns in the future. The female issue, along with the prevalence of certain ethnic groups, has also been noted but is not a topic many want to pass comment on.
There is more to engineering a workforce than simple numbers.Questions are increasingly asked about why, and why don't, people go into optometry. University places have continued to rise while the number of applicants has reduced. Did the high salary culture attract people for money and not vocation? Are medicine and pharmacy winning out? Why don't 16-year-olds in the regions consider optometry? Did the withdrawal of second degree funding play a part?
Later this month the British Universities Committee of Optometry will host a meeting to discuss all the above and see how the number and quality of applicants for both optical professions can be improved. My guess is the grass-roots profession holds the key.