Johnson & Johnson to relaunch Success Through Education Programme

Johnson & Johnson is re-launching its Success Through Education Programme (STEP) this autumn with a refreshed approach to supporting undergraduate and newly-qualified optometrists.

The free programme, which re-launches on 6 October, aims to support all budding optometrists regardless of their route to qualification.

At an event held at the Johnson & Johnson Institute to celebrate the programme, Robyn Marsden, professional education and development manager, UK and Ireland, explained that STEP has been around for more than 10 years, sharing: “It is a fantastic programme of education that supports optometry students from undergraduate all the way through to newly-qualified.”

The programme needed to evolve following the General Optical Council’s new education and training requirements (ETR) which has seen a change to the way optometrists are qualifying in the UK.

Marsden said: “STEP needs to evolve, move forward, and work in line with the ETR.”

“This re-launch on 6 October is all about helping each and every optometry student, no matter what their route to qualification, to have that support to help them be the best clinician they can be,” she added.

“STEP is a programme we should all be very proud of,” she said.

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Changes ahead for STEP programme

At 100% Optical OT heard how Johnson & Johnson Vision is “reigniting” its STEP programme to support future students and newly-qualified optometrists

From linear journey to a buffet of learning

Previously, Marsden explained, STEP followed a linear journey because all optometrists qualified in the same way.

“We have moved to a buffet-style of education,” she said of the new approach.

Participants have access to a portal through which they can book onto webinars or face-to-face events, complete online learning, access flash cards, and more.

“There is a plethora of education we’ve spent a year working on,” Marsden said, adding: “It’s a completely new way of doing things.”

“They can do it all at their own pace, in their own time, on the topics that really interest them or that they feel they need support with,” she said.

With optometry courses across the country taking different approaches to education, STEP has had to be flexible.

“We’ve had to move along with the universities, talk to them about their content and curriculum, and how we can ensure their students are as supported in their university as they are in others,” she explained.

Marsden said: “It has been quite a massive overhaul to ensure that it does support whoever, wherever they are in the journey.”

Currently, approximately 500 students are enrolled in each tier of STEP for 2024–2025 and uptake has been high for the coming year, Marsden said.

She explained: “We go to all the universities at the end of second year and explain what STEP is and how to join. We’ve had quite a large uptake for the coming year, which is great. It’s completely free, it doesn’t differentiate – everyone can join. We want everyone to have the same experiences. It really matters to us that we’re innovating in the education space.”

Four pillars of STEP

STEP will now operate across four pillars that take participants through undergraduate studies, to placement, final exams, and newly-qualified status.

STEP Bronze will support students while in university, providing webinars and online education to support day-to-day learning.

The next stage is STEP Silver, which provides support to pre-registration students, or those on their long placement through the Clinical Learning in Practice model, where they will be working regularly with patients in clinic.

This pillar provides face-to-face courses, webinar, and online content, allowing participants to engage with the topics they wish to cover, in a way that suits them best.

STEP Gold is focused on final exam support, whatever form those assessments take. The Gold pillar will have a pre-reg and a placement channel running side-by-side, in recognition of the different ways that students will be completing their education in the coming years.

Finally, newly-qualified optometrists can access continued support through STEP NQ.

Progression through the pillars

Participants are required to gain a certain number of credits in order to move through the pillars.

Students are required to gain 150 credits to move from STEP Bronze to Silver. Once they have secured the necessary credits, they will have secured their place in the next pillar and will be able to continue working through the content in the Bronze tier.

To move from STEP Silver to Gold, students will be required to achieve 250 credits, with places in STEP Gold secured on a first-come first-served basis. This is because of the level of support offered to students in this pillar, which includes one-to-one feedback and mock exams.

In the past, students could only join STEP while at university, but individuals can now join at any stage of their educational journey, in an effort to broaden access to the programme. Provided a participant ‘catches up’ and attains the required credits, they will be able to join the programme at any point and work through the pillars.

Describing the credit system, Marsden explained that these can be obtained quickly, with webinars scheduled throughout the year, to enable those who wish to join at a later point to catch up.

Operating the credit system means the programme is fair for all participants wishing to access it, with Marsden sharing: “We’ve ensured that, whoever you are, you need to get the same amount of credits.”

Broadening newly-qualified access

Newly-qualified optometrists can join STEP NQ at any point up to four years post-qualification, regardless of whether they were previously part of the programme. No credits are required to join this pillar.

Marsden said: “We recognise that some of them realise later; ‘I wish I’d been on STEP.’ Previously, they could never join, we have opened it up now so if they want to come and seek the help and support they can.”

Commenting on the support provided for newly-qualified optometrists, Marsden said: “Now they are standing on their own two feet, making their own clinical decisions, and there isn’t a supervisor next door to help them. STEP is all about helping them to go on the first steps of that qualified journey.”