Optician qualification:
how to obtain the optician diploma and qualification
A brief guide to discover the qualification to the profession of Optician, the school courses that allow you to obtain it, in which countries you can work and what professional skills it attributes.
The licence to practise as an optician
In Italy, to carry out the profession of optician, regulated since 1928, it is necessary to obtain a qualification to practise the auxiliary art of the health professions of optician pursuant the art. 140 of the Consolidated Law on Health Laws Royal Decree of the 27th of July 1934 n. 1265.The qualification is the only legally valid title that enables the exercise of the regulated profession of Optician in Italy and it is valid throughout the national territory, the European Union and in many foreign countries outside the EU that have signed reciprocal agreements for the recognition of qualifications with Italy and/or the European Union.
How to become a qualified Optician?
The qualifying diploma of Optician, according to the current decree number 284 of the 6th of August 2021 of the Ministry of Education, which replaced the previous ones, is obtained at the end of the following school courses:
- the secondary five-year school that includes 15 disciplines, of which 7 majors and 8 of general area of studies;
- The two-year post-secondary school curriculum including 7 majors disciplines.
The professional skills of Opticians
Under the D.L. of the 13th of April 2017 n. 61 and D.I. of the 24th of May 2018 n. 92 the macro-skills that the students obtain with the qualifying diploma are:
Professional area
- Make and take care of the maintenance of optical aids and/or devices with corrective, substitutive, integrative and aesthetic functions for the visual well-being of the person on medical prescription or with their measurements, using appropriate materials, instrumentation and processing techniques.
- Technically assist the customer in the selection of the frame and ophthalmic lenses based on the optical aid, the visual problem, the physical characteristics of the person, the specific needs of use and safety, ergonomics and habits and inform him/her about the use and correct maintenance of the optical aids provided.
- Carry out, with appropriate technologies and in the cases permitted by current legislation, the examination of visual skills and binocular vision capacity to the design and assembly of the necessary optical aids, reporting to medical attention any conditions of the customer that indicate eyes and health anomalies.
- Manage the application of contact lenses for the compensation of all visual defects following a prescription and take care of the after-sales control activity.
Organizational-managerial area
- Collaborate in the management, from a corporate point of view, of the department/sector/sales point, assisting with administrative activities and with the promotion and marketing of products.
- Take care of the organization of the optometry and contact lens practice position with particular attention to workplace safety, hygiene and environmental protection.
Areas of work and job perspectives of the qualified optician
In Italy, 350,000 jobs remain vacant as companies cannot find people with adequate qualifications and skills. This phenomenon called "frictional unemployment" is determined by the failure of those leaving the educational system to meet the needs and expectations of companies.
This phenomenon also applies to the Optical sector. The demand for qualified Opticians is higher than the number of students graduating each year, so much so that many positions remain vacant and 97% of new graduates find work within six months (the data refers to Opticians who graduated from the Zaccagnini Institute).
The entire optical sector is based on qualified opticians and all companies – production, services and retail – need them. Furthermore the ownership of 80% of the specialized stores belongs to the qualified Optician who manages it.
This phenomenon also applies to the Optical sector. The demand for qualified Opticians is higher than the number of students graduating each year, so much so that many positions remain vacant and 97% of new graduates find work within six months (the data refers to Opticians who graduated from the Zaccagnini Institute).
The entire optical sector is based on qualified opticians and all companies – production, services and retail – need them. Furthermore the ownership of 80% of the specialized stores belongs to the qualified Optician who manages it.
To sum up, the job prospects of a new graduate are:
- optician and/or manager in over ten thousand independent specialized stores and/or chains,
- specialist technician in laboratories and in the ophthalmic and contact lens industry,
- customer care specialist for manufacturers of ophthalmic lenses, contact lenses and ophthalmic instruments.
- entrepreneur, owner of specialised optical shops or freelancer at the service of specialised shops and/or owner of an optometric study.
Studying after the qualification: the opportunities
After obtaining the optician qualification you can continue your studies and specialise with:
- Full-time or two-year Optometry Specialization Courses for student-workers;
- Clinical courses in various areas of Optometry and Contact lens practice;
- Clinical Masters in disciplines related to vision sciences, such as Visual Training, Posturology, Binocular Vision, etc.
The Zaccagnini Institute
The Zaccagnini Institute, founded in Bologna in 1977 and present in Milan since 2018, is the first multipurpose network of vision in Italy and the first school of Optics, Optometry and Vision Sciences for number of members and breadth of the educational and training offer.
The two-year post-high school courses qualifying to the exercise of the auxiliary art of the optical health professions offered by the Benigno Zaccagnini Institute in Bologna in Milan are authorized by the Emilia Romagna and Lombardy Regions in agreement with the Ministry of Health under the Ministerial Decree of the 28th of October 1992.
The two-year post-high school courses qualifying to the exercise of the auxiliary art of the optical health professions offered by the Benigno Zaccagnini Institute in Bologna in Milan are authorized by the Emilia Romagna and Lombardy Regions in agreement with the Ministry of Health under the Ministerial Decree of the 28th of October 1992.