EssilorLuxottica News

EssilorLuxottica News

EssilorLuxottica Pledges $11M in New Technology, Scholarships and Loan Repayments for Optometry Students and Recent Optometry Graduates

EssilorLuxottica through its Retail Optical North America (RONA) brands including LensCrafters, Target Optical and Pearle Vision, announced its investment in future optometrists with an $11M pledge over the next two years to fund equipment installation in optometry schools and colleges, provide scholarship programs to third- and fourth-year optometry students, and offer full loan reimbursement to recent graduates.

At a recent ASCO dinner hosted by EssilorLuxottica, LensCrafters President Alfonso Cerullo commented “With the shortage of optometrists in the market and an increase in student loans and debt, this provides an opportunity to collaborate with the schools and colleges and support educational opportunities for the best and brightest entering the field of Optometry and eye care.”

Gunjan Kumar, president – North America Retail Licensed Brands and Pearle Vision continues, “As a leader in eye care, it’s important for EssilorLuxottica to invest in the future of the profession in a holistic way. I am excited about the commitment we have made to ASCO, including the organization’s Optometry Gives Me Life campaign, and the schools and colleges of Optometry. These programs will shape the next generation of optometrists.”

The new commitment is comprised of several programs that will be implemented over the course of the next two years. The cornerstone of these initiatives is the innovative online, on-demand, educational platform “Leonardo.” All students will receive access to Leonardo, where they can view countless hours of content delivered by industry experts and spanning the areas of product development, lens technology and practice management, amounting to over 5,760 hours of video, interactive lessons, podcasts and virtual classrooms in over 15 languages.

EssilorLuxottica also announced the availability of $3 million for loan repayments for recent graduates seeking employment within LensCrafters, Target Optical and Pearle Vision. This allows new doctors the chance to start their careers and build their practice without the added burden of paying off loans with this ‘financial freedom’ program. Interested applicants can click here to receive additional information.

EssilorLuxottica has also committed to investing $2.5 million in the installation of equipment and remote access capabilities to all interested schools and colleges of Optometry. This program allows future generations of doctors to gain real-world knowledge, utilizing real clinical cases and practicing on the newest technologies featured in the Retail Optical brands.

Senior Vice President of EssilorLuxottica Eye Care Carl Spear, OD, MBA, FAAO adds, “The proprietary “Connect” practice management solution, that integrates appointment scheduling, Electronic Health Records (EHR) system and instrumentation will ensure that optometry students have hands-on experience with emerging technologies prior to graduation. This is a game-changer for these students to have unprecedented access to advanced technologies related to providing quality patient care.”

Finally, EssilorLuxottica has pledged $5 million over the next two years to ASCO and the schools and colleges of Optometry for student scholarships. With Leonardo education and participation as a key component of being a recipient in addition to working for one of the brands (LensCrafters, Target Optical, and Pearle Vision) following graduation, the scholarship recipients will continue to have access to the training and development platform as part of their employment. The process for applying will be available in the Spring of 2023, and the first scholarships will be awarded for the 2023 – 2024 school year. 

Cerullo concludes with, “These programs and commitments showcase the many advantages of working with EssilorLuxottica post-graduation, and the ways in which we invest in our doctors, their practices and more importantly, the work life/balance future generations of optometrist are seeking. Partnering with the schools and colleges demonstrates our commitment to the industry, in addition to future optometrists. As we look to cultivate a culture of innovation in the industry, this investment is proof of that commitment.”

Longstanding partnership programs developed through EssilorLuxottica’s wholesale business with individual schools and colleges of Optometry will continue to grow in support of independent eyecare providers.