More than 500 optometry students begin Clinical Learning in Practice roles this July
This July, The College of Optometrists will welcome more than 500 optometry students across the UK to their Clinical Learning in Practice (CLiP) roles, marking the largest intake yet into the profession’s new integrated work-based learning programme.
“Joining their practices for the start of CLiP is a key milestone in students’ training and preparation for registration. They will apply their academic and early clinical learning within a structured workplace experience, to refine their clinical skills and build professional confidence in a supportive environment. This is the first large CLiP intake and as such represents the culmination of over five years of development with universities, employers and the College collaborating to design and deliver the best possible route to full registration as an optometrist.
“To date we’ve had employers offer more CLiP roles than the number of students seeking CLiP employment, but as the programme expands we want to continue to ensure that students have access to the widest possible variety of opportunities in locations across the UK. This may even include multi-site offers, such as hospital and primary settings, arranged via employer collaboration. Employers can contact the College team to find out more about CLiP and our support for employers, from advertising and recruitment to supervision and assessment.”
Lizzy Ostler, Director of Education at The College of Optometrists