Optical Training Institute is a national provider of exam preparation and continuing education for opticians and ophthalmic medical personnel. Since 1988 it has helped thousands of opticians prepare for and pass the important National and State certifying exams in opticianry and obtain their professional credentials. It publishes the Exam Preparation Home Study Courses for Spectacle and Contact Lens Dispensers, as well as continuing education credits for certified opticians which are available through the mail and the Internet. It sponsors seminars providing continuing education credits for licensed opticians in numerous states including Washington, California, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island. Its courses have been approved for continuing education credits by the American Board of Opticianry (ABO), the National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE) and the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO).

About the Director
Gerald R. Ludwin, B.A., FOAA, is an ABO Master in Ophthalmic Optics, holds a Lifetime Teaching Credential with the California Community Colleges, served for five years as instructor of Ophthalmic Optics at Citrus College in Glendora, CA., and has been actively involved in all phases of the optical industry for over twenty years. He is the founder and director of the Optical Training Institute and author of the Exam Preparation Home Study Courses for Spectacle and Contact Lens Dispensers. Since 1988 hundreds of opticians have prepared for National and State Certifying Examinations in opticianry under Mr. Ludwin’s guidance and tutelage and hundreds more have benefited from his unique teaching style while attending the one day Hands On Training for Opticians seminars. While assisting those wishing to earn or maintain their professional credentials in opticianry is a primary objective, raising the level of competency among opticians through training and education continues to be an overriding goal.

Eyecare Industry Booming
The eyecare industry in America is booming. The rapid growth, fueled by the ageing "Baby Boom" generation, has created what is becoming a shortage of trained opticians nationwide. That large segment of the population, born between 1946 and 1963, has been entering their fortieth year and beyond. And at approximately age 40, corrective lenses for reading and other near vision activities are commonly prescribed. This condition, known as presbyopia, is a normal function of the ageing process and effects nearly the entire population. The result: an increasing number of people are requiring the services of eyecare professionals each year, a trend which will continue well into the twenty-first century. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of opticianry jobs is predicted to increase by some 35% throughout this exciting period of unprecedented growth.