The first cohort of students to complete the Optical Dispensing Certificate IV with the Australasian College of Optical Dispensing (ACOD) have been recognised at a graduation and awards event in Sydney.
Fifty six students have now completed the Certificate IV with ACOD, eight of whom are from New Zealand. Twenty-four of the 48 Australian graduates attended the event to receive completion certificates from ACOD directors and senior trainers, James Gibbins and Chedy Kalach.
Additionally, awards were presented to Steven Hurtz (first in course); Catherine Marks (second in course) and Amanda Harris (third in course).
The importance of employing qualified optical dispensers in practice, and the value of their continued training was a strong theme during presentations by Katie Philp, Dispensing Advancement Manager with Specsavers, and guest of honour, Jono Hennessy. Mr. Hennessy told the optical dispensers, “You are a major, important part of the whole industry and how it all works… what you do makes the optometrist’s script work or not … I want people to know how important you are in the optical industry, never forget that importance.”
