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What is Apprenticeship?

An Apprentice is a person who has signed a written Apprenticeship Agreement with a Sponsor to learn the occupation of Opticianry.

Who can be a Sponsor?

An Licensed Dispensing Optician (L.D.O.), Ophthalmologist (M.D.), or Optometrist (O.D.) in Washington State.

Who do we Register with?

The Washington Department of Health 

What can Apprentices do?

A Registered Apprentice will work directly under their Sponsor.  It is the responsibility of the Sponsor to educate, communicate and provide an learning environment for the Apprentice.  A Registered Apprentice has the ability to function as an Optician or Lab Technician.

How long can I be Apprenticed?

Currently under the Department of Health guidelines Apprentices shall complete their apprenticeship in a minimum of 3 years and maximum of six years. One year is equivalent to 2,000 working hours of apprenticeship training. The supervisor must be on the premises simultaneously with the apprentice for 1,600 hours of the 2,000 hours worked, and have available at each location where an apprentice is working a monthly log with verification by initial of both the licensed supervisor and the apprentice 

The following is the Washington States Codes and Rules regarding Apprentices.

(1) Registration of an apprentice shall be requested by the physician, optometrist or dispensing optician who intends to provide the training for and direct supervision of the apprentice's work, on a form provided by the secretary.
(2) Separate registrations shall be required if an individual receives his or her apprenticeship training from more than one licensee.
(3) In determining whether or not an individual has completed his or her apprenticeship, within the minimum of three years or the maximum of six years, only the apprenticeship training received subsequent to the date that the apprentice was formally registered with the secretary will be considered: Provided, That an individual who has been registered in an apprentice-type program by an agency of the state of Washington, which program has been approved by the secretary, and who has been trained and directly supervised by a licensed physician, optometrist, or dispensing optician while in such program, may have all such training considered toward fulfillment of his or her apprenticeship, whether such training occurred before or after his or her formal registration with the secretary: Provided, further, That this exemption is not to be construed or applied in any manner which would except any person from any provision of RCW 18.34.030: Provided, further, That before such training may be considered toward fulfillment of an apprenticeship, formal registration of the individual must be requested by the physician, optometrist, or dispensing optician who has trained and supervised the individual, in retrospective accordance with subsections (1), (2) and (4) of this section, on a form provided by the secretary.
(4) The licensee initially requesting the registration of an apprentice shall notify the secretary whenever he or she terminates the apprenticeship training, unless such termination is concluded by reason of the apprentice becoming licensed as a dispensing optician.

In order to facilitate comments on the apprentice's performance, the name, business address and business telephone number of the departmental supervisor or the supervising optician, optometrist or physician shall be posted in public view on the premises where the apprentice works.

For the purpose of administering and recording apprenticeship training, in accordance with the conditions specified by RCW 18.34.070 (5)(a), one year shall be defined as 2,000 hours of training under supervision of a licensed physician, optometrist or dispensing optician.      This definition will not be used to extend the limit of apprenticeship training as specified in RCW 18.34.030.
(1) No apprentice shall engage in the work of dispensing optician except in the course and scope of apprenticeship training under the direct supervision of a duly licensed physician, optometrist, or dispensing optician.
(2) "Direct supervision" shall mean that the supervising optometrist, physician, or dispensing optician shall:
(a) Inspect a substantial portion of the apprentice's work;
(b) Be physically present on the premises where the apprentice is working and available for consultation with the apprentice a minimum of 80% of the time claimed as apprenticeship training.      Thus, of the 2,000 training hours in one year of apprenticeship, the supervisor must be on the premises simultaneously with the apprentice for 1,600 hours, and have available at each location where an apprentice is working a monthly log with verification by initial of both the licensed supervisor and the apprentice to be shown upon request made by the state; and
(c) Except that in the case of the fitting or adjusting of contact lenses, "direct supervision" shall require that the supervising optician, optometrist, or physician inspect all of the apprentice's work and be physically present on the premises at all times.
Provided, however, That if the supervisor is absent for extended periods of time, the apprentice shall be supervised by another licensed physician, optometrist, or dispensing optician, and provided further that "direct supervision" shall not require that the supervisor while on the premises inspect all of the apprentice's work, nor shall it require that the supervisor and apprentice be constantly in the same room.

If you are interested in becoming an Registered Apprentice, please contact the Department of Health.