Why is upskilling so important in the optical industry?

ABDO Sector Skills Development Officer Nick Walsh writes: There is change afoot in global optics. This is driven by factors such as the ageing population: In 2017, there are an estimated 962 million people aged 60 or over in the world, comprising 13 per cent of the global population. The population aged 60 or above is growing at a rate of about 3 per cent per year. The number of older persons in the world is projected to be 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2.1 billion in 2050, and could rise to 3.1 billion in 2100. Globally, the number of persons aged 80 or over is projected to triple by 2050, from 137 million in 2017 to 425 million in 2050. By 2100 it is expected to increase to 909 million, nearly seven times its value in 2017. Over the next few decades, a further increase in the population of older persons is almost inevitable, given the size of the cohorts born in recent decades.(1) This will mean increased prevalence of conditions that can cause visual impairment presenting in your practices.