Welcome!
BC College of Optics is Canada's first private post-secondary educational facility
teaching opticianry and contact lens fitting exclusively. Founded in 1984,
BC College of Optics offered British Columbians an opportunity to receive hands-on,
in-house training as an alternative to an existing BC correspondence course.
That program required its students to find employment in the opticianry field
and then receive opticianry training by way of a long-term apprenticeship program.
Beginning at the grass-roots level, Ted Morse, B.Sc., L.LB. studied every opticianry course available in the United States and then combined this vast knowledge of optics into a comprehensive, condensed format that enabled his students to join British Columbia's opticianry profession at an entry-level position in a reasonable length of time. Over the years, many BC College of Optics alumni opened their own retail optical dispensaries or were promoted to senior optical management positions and today provide BC College of Optics with a steady stream of new opticianry students.
Opticianry was not recognized as a profession by the British Columbia government until 1995, with the formation of the regulatory College of Opticians of British Columbia (COBC). Formal licensing requirements followed in 1996, and those working in the optical industry were required to pass regulatory COBC licensing examinations in both professional areas. Today, British Columbia has a large number of registered Dispensing Opticians and Contact Lens Fitters who are alumni of BC College of Optics.
BC College of Optics has continuously developed and updated its formal opticianry program so that BCCO graduates are able to make an immediate contribution to any employer's optical dispensary. And many of BC College of Optics graduates go on to open their own retail optical businesses soon after graduation.
With the WWII 'baby-boomer' generation now entering their 40's and 50's, the prospects for a secure and financially stable career in the field of opticianry look especially promising. If you are an energetic and motivated individual, with a strong desire to work in a health-related profession, then consider opticianry as a career choice. Opticianry . . . "A Career with Vision".
|
WHY BCCO?
|
| 1) Quality Education: BCCO's curriculum has been examined as part of the PCTIA accreditation process, together with industry input. It contains all the learning competencies required to work both as a Dispensing Optician and as a Contact Lens Fitter. 2) Excellent Faculty: BC College of Optics offers accessible, caring instructors who are expert in the fields of Ophthalmic Dispensing and Contact Lens Fitting. 3) Convenient Location: BC College of Optics is centrally located with direct access to either SKYTRAIN'S 'Central City' or 'King George Hwy' Stations, while also an easy vehicle commute from almost anywhere in the Lower Mainland of BC. 4) Cost Effective: BCCO graduates can enter the workplace after only six (6)-months, much earlier than their public College Diploma optician counterparts, and can therefore expect to earn more than $30,000-$45,000 in real wages before their two (2)-year public College Diploma optician colleagues begin to earn their first paycheck. 5) Flexible Schedule: BCCO offers full-time or part-time, day or evening classes. 6) Class Size: BCCO is a small school, with an overall average class size of only 12-20 students. 7) Intensive, Concentrated Program: While all public College opticianry programs require certain Humanities and/or Liberal Arts credits as part of their Diploma programs, BCCO's Certificate program stays focused on teaching opticianry subjects exclusively. |