Bradford College has achieved a position within the top three educational institutions in England that provide higher education courses in Ophthalmic Dispensing (Dispensing Optician), as per the recent release of the National Student Survey (NSS).
Conducted annually, the NSS is an independent survey that collects the perspectives of final-year undergraduates on the quality of their academic programs. The survey comprises 27 questions encompassing various facets of their higher education journey.
The feedback received from undergraduates studying Ophthalmic Dispensing placed Bradford College among the top three educational institutions nationally across six out of the seven survey categories.
In the category of student voice, which pertains to attentiveness to individual and collective student opinions, the College secured the first position nationally. This achievement was particularly noteworthy, as it exceeded the national benchmark by an impressive 20.8%.
Additionally, Bradford College’s Ophthalmic Dispensing program secured the second position nationally in the domains of learning opportunities (11.6% above the benchmark) and academic support (13.9% above the benchmark). Furthermore, it attained the third position in the categories of marking & assessment (11.2% above the benchmark), organization & management (22.5% above the benchmark), and learning resources (6.9% above the benchmark).
The participation in the survey encompassed a total of 423 universities, colleges, and higher education providers from England, resulting in responses from 290,639 students.
Asa Gordon, Vice Principal for Curriculum at Bradford College, said; “I’m delighted this latest NSS survey shows such positive results for our flexible higher education curriculum and specialist part-time programmes such as Ophthalmic Dispensing. The feedback will help shape the student experience at Bradford College for all our higher-level learners, and for part-time adult learners who balance various commitments.
“I’m also really pleased to see the significant uptake in survey responses from our higher education students – up over ten per cent from 2022 and this year’s national average. Thanks go to our staff who continue to make a huge difference to the lives of local learners.”
The demand for qualified professionals in the UK is underscored by research conducted earlier this year by the search engine Adzuna. Analyzing over 1 million advertised job vacancies in November 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, the research unveiled a noteworthy increase of 108% in vacancies for Optometrist roles and 90% for Optician roles. This surge propelled these roles to the 13th and 15th positions, respectively, among the most trending jobs of 2023.
With a history spanning over 70 years, Bradford College has been offering training in ophthalmic dispensing and stands as one of the esteemed optical education providers in the UK. The College boasts a strong partnership with Specsavers and provides an array of courses, including part-time Level 6 Diplomas in Ophthalmic Dispensing, a full-time BSc (Hons) in Ophthalmic Dispensing, and a part-time ABDO Low Vision Honours qualification.
Noteworthy developments are on the horizon, as an investment of £5.8 million from the Higher Education Capital Fund is set to transform the Garden Mills building into a versatile higher education STEM training facility. This upgraded building will encompass specialized facilities for ophthalmic dispensing, such as an ophthalmic dispensing suite, science laboratories, clinical suite, and a real-life work environment complete with consulting and testing booths.
Furthermore, the NSS outcomes revealed that across all higher education courses, Bradford College students believe that their feedback on courses is taken into consideration, finding it easy to reach out to teaching staff when needed. They also reported receiving assessment feedback promptly and finding the subject matter engaging—exceeding the national benchmarks by 4.7%, 4.4%, 3.3%, and 3.4%, respectively.
Bradford College offers flexible full-time and part-time higher technical, professional, and degree programs, including honours degrees and post-graduate courses, foundation degrees, HNDs, and HNCs. Each year, over 1,000 students embark on higher technical and professional programs and degrees at Bradford College. These career-oriented courses equip students with a competitive advantage in their chosen industries.
For those interested, Bradford College still has clearing places available. Additional information can be accessed at:
https://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/support/students/clearing-and-late-applications
