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Thread: Apprentice Optician

  1. #1
    OptiBoard Apprentice
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    Angry Apprentice Optician

    ABO/NCLE Certifications. Newport,TN And surrounding areas.
    I Have Found That An Apprentice Optician May Be A Thing Of The Past.
    We Are Considered Just Hired Help!

  2. #2
    OptiBoard Apprentice
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    Apr 2006
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    New Smyrna Beach, FL
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    We are just considered "little people"!!:hammer:

    I think it's funny... i have found a million places seeking a "Licensed Optician". When they hear i am an apprentice, they jump on that opportunity to pay me next to nothing, and still fill the space! (under a Lic. of course). I know i am not that experienced, but i still work my *** of, and am TRYING to learn as much as possible.
    Keep looking, i'm sure someone out there needs a good apprentice. Good luck!:bbg:

  3. #3
    Master OptiBoarder Cindy Hamlin's Avatar
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    Chester, VA
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    Again, I thought this thread was better served here than on the Job board which is for job postings and resume postings.
    ~Cindy

    "If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." -Catherine Aird-

  4. #4
    Master OptiBoarder
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    Trainees

    Apprentices are trainees, and in today's optical world, there is little training that actually occurs. Apprenticeship is really just an acronym for "cheap labor". That is a shame, but indeed what it has become. For Opticianry to move ahead it needs to be eliminated, and a required program of academic study put in place. I know of no other health "profession" that has continuied with apprenticeship, and it is time we move on. I see many good folks out there who are "apprenticeses" that come to sit for national boards and state licensing exams that are very poorly prepared, and that is the norm, not the exception. Do not expect anything different. As an apprentice, you are subject to your supervisor's will (what was once called your "master" in the early days) and will learn only as much as he/she can or will teach you.
    Last edited by wmcdonald; 07-07-2006 at 06:48 PM.

  5. #5
    Master OptiBoarder mike.elmes's Avatar
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    edmonton,alberta, Canada
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    Try not to get discouraged....keep applying, everywhere.Be prepaired to work for a cheaper wage to start. An apprentice optician is like an apprentice mechanic,welder,framer,electrician etc...Not worth much at the beginning. The practical experience you learn day to day is the best kind of learning one can get.Not nessesarily the schooling or college. I trained with an incredible Optician whom still plies his stock and trade today at the age of 76(part time). I have hired and fired many Opticians in my 25 years. There is a huge difference between the abilities of each optician as well....even though they have the same degree.The difference is training...on the job training. Exposure to ALL the types of prescriptions from easy to rediculous.

  6. #6
    Bad address email on file Karlen McLean's Avatar
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    Jun 2000
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    Boerne, Texas
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    Other Eyecare-Related Field
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    Supplimenting

    Maybe you could consider supplimenting your apprenticeship with opticianry education at a local college that has an opticianry program, or or online at one of several U.S. NFOS (National Federation of Opticianry Schools, www.nfos.org) programs. It would help you gain knowledge, make your worklife easier, and give you more solid opportunities employment-wise for the future.

  7. #7
    Master OptiBoarder
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    You know, I was an apprentice for two years. I'm not saying I'm a genius, but I did a lot of studying on my own (went to public library, bought books recommended by teachers, etc) and within like 4 months of starting, I was asking questions that my licensed boss couldn't answer. Like, "Isn't there a formula to see what size stock lens you'd need for a frame?" (After we wasted 4 sets of polarized lenses one summer. I was told to shut up and quit being a smarty pants.
    After two years of frequently knowing more than the Opticians I worked with, I got fed up of making nooo money.
    Right now, I run an optical shop for a doctor. I'm not a 'manager' as there is no one under me. It's a fairly small shop, but I love the job. Anyway, I decided to go to the 2 year school program instead. Forget the apprentice. Apprentices in NC have a 7% license rate (And that's not just the first time you take the test) where as graduates of the program have a 90% rate. Also, those who did the degree program make on average 7,000 more per year.
    So, I don't know how long you've been an apprentice, but let me assure you that through 2 and a half years of working for perfectly capable opticians, everything I've really learned has been stuff I read on my own or specific questions I brought up with my trainers. Even then, it's obvious some of them don't remember the material themselves or just don't understand it.

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