Social Workers Education and Training - Term Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages... Collaboration of all stakeholders in the education sector enhances the total outcome in that regard. In social work education and training, however, the trend seems to be taking a reverse direction over time. Social work students and trainees face numerous challenges, right from education and training institutions to the places of work. Specifically, education and training related to social work seems to be disregarded, resulting in all round difficulties in educating and training social workers. From the upper role of social work professionals, there has been a rising trend of lack of seriousness in treating social work as a career like any other. The negative effects of this are rolling back to schools, colleges, universities, and other training institutions in that line, challenging the overall goals of social work at individual and social level. Discussion I. Training of social workers at university level remains inadequate. A. Throughout the years, the number of students enrolling in social work education and training has been declining. The college and university level system lacks adequate motivation and incentive to have more students enrol in social work programs (Garland & Escobar, 1988). If any anything, the number of students and trainees at university level continues to decline. On the same note, social work academic programs lag behind in terms of diversity, dynamism and development (Garland & Escobar, 1988). Other fields of study keep at par with changes in education needs, but social work training programs hardly do. As a result, the academic provision and training offered at university has become inadequate, and students opt to take other disciplines other than social work. B. In any given field of study, practical experience is critical to account for. In this respect, having students and trainees go through practical experience within their placement is vital (Hokenstad & Midgley, 1997). However, university education hardly accounts for this factor. Students and trainees go through the theoretical part of social world academics and training, but hardly get equipped with practical skills during the education and training period. For this reason, their placement in the real world scenario exhibits practices hardships and ineffectiveness of social work practice. Although university education is characterized by highly trained staff and trainers in the social work field, inadequate practical experiences derail wholesomeness of education and training in that field (Hokenstad & Midgley, 1997). Inadequacy in practical experiences in social work university education can be associated with the laxity to keep at par with social changes in education and training pursuits. Social work training is rather static and less responsive to change. While this phenomenon can actually be reversed, efforts to do so are not revolutionary enough. II. Lack of in-service social work training A. Practitioners in the social work sector experience minimal professional development courses that are offered in that line (Lishman, 2011). Curriculum design and development often overlooks the social work aspects. As a result, professional courses that offered in this line are minimal and relatively superficial relative to other disciplines. Practitioners in ...Download file to see next pagesRead More