Aim of the YH Optometric Technician qualification

For more information please contact The Swedish Center for Optometri, info@optometri.se

The Aim of the YH Optometric technician programme, 400 yh-points, is to provide the optical trade with a modern associate who has a broad knowledge and significant competence to handle all the tasks and challenges that are likely to arise ( other than diagnosing visual malfunctions). After finishing the course the students should be able to:

• order, manufacture, adjust and check out aids for vision according to given prescription,
• recommend optical products within the market and inform customers about their function and handling, perform vision screening and prelimanty tests for an eye examaination,
• independently perform visuals for driver's licenses,
• identfify common eye problems,
• have knowledge about diseases, pharmacological drugs and other inner or outer factors that will effect vision,
• perform measurements and preliminary tests before fitting of contact lenses,
• make programs and check lists for lens training,
• understand laws, regulations, and hygienic regulations regarding the optician's activity and be able to document routines tor this,
• independently acquire knowledge within optics and optometrics and nearby scientific areas within an insight of the importance of a lifelong learning.

After this eduction the students should be abel to work as:

• optometric technician,
• optometric assistant,
• contact lens assistant,
• in sales of optometric products,
• technician in an optometric workshop
• as responsible or as primary responsible,
• head of products, responsible for products,
• head of shop, entrepreneur or holder of franchise in the trade of optic aids,
• teacher in optometric techniques, optometric workshops and knowledge of products.

YH optometric technician 400 p is a basic education.  An optometric technician can work in shops for optics, chains within optics, wholesalers of glass and frames, glass grinders, distributors of contact lenses and clinics for vision in different professional roles. The professional role that this course leads to may vary but is internationally recognised. Up to now optometric technicians have been offered work in Norway, Denmark, Finland, Spain, England, Australia, and enquiries about the program have been coming from Austria, Ethiopia and the US. The labor opportunities for optometric technicians are plentiful. Most already have jobs before the course is finished. The most common employers are found within the optical chains like Synsam, Synoptik, Specsavers, Synskärparn, Smarteyes, Din syn, Synologen, Klarsynt/optiserve, Contacta Eyewear and several independent opticians without connection to a chain. Today optometric technicians are also employed at the training of opticians at the Karolinska Institute, at distributors of frames, at open eye clinics at orthopthicians.