Certified courses to help change society…….Gauri Rane Shetty
Gone are the days when the lives of underprivileged and the repressed sections got help from a few privileged citizens of the society. Today this act of generosity and service has become a full fledged profession with highly trained professionals.
The casual attitude attached with social work has been replaced by a serious professional attitude.There are institutions that offer full time course on social work in India. The only requirement for aspirants to get a seat at any of these courses is the capability of working really hard under precarious working conditions.
Let us take a look at the education and training, work environment and career progression in this profession.
Getting trained
In recent times social work has emerged as a major developmental career. Professionally trained social workers are able to take a holistic view of social problems before tackling them. Large-scale participation of non-governmental organisations and international agencies in developmental projects in the country has helped the profession to become recognised and established. With more funds being invested in these projects, the need for professionalism is urgent
In recent times social work has emerged as a major developmental career. Professionally trained social workers are able to take a holistic view of social problems before tackling them. Large-scale participation of non-governmental organisations and international agencies in developmental projects in the country has helped the profession to become recognised and established. With more funds being invested in these projects, the need for professionalism is urgent
Training programmes in Social Work typically are a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW) which is a three-year course. There can also be an option of doing a BA in Social work. Admission is usually on the basis of merit or an admission test. The main objective of a written test is basically to assess one’s ability for expression and communication and also general awareness. This assessment is followed by an interview which is meant to gauge the personality of the candidate regarding suitability and motivation for the course. Students can get admission to the BSW programme only after completing plus 2 or HSC equivalent examination.
After the BSW or a BA in Social Work, one can pursue a two-year MSW or Masters in Social Work-a coveted programme for professional placements in social work. Professional training in social work demands going through a postgraduate programme i.e. the MSW. Additional qualifications in sociology, law or psychology are an advantage in this profession.
The MSW courses include a certain amount of fieldwork instruction which helps students in they day-to-day functioning of the actual job. The postgraduate programme also allows specialisations such as family and child welfare, community development (rural and urban), medical and psychiatric, criminology and correctional administration. Specialisation includes in-depth study of human behaviour and growth, problems of physical and mental health, family law, economic and social structure of society, psychology of adolescence and of groups, sociology of group and community interaction and so on. The fieldwork exposure to MSW students depends on their area of specialisation. Apart from theory and fieldwork, project work is also a part of the curriculum. A postgraduate diploma in labour and social welfare, usually offered as a one-year course is also suitable for a professional opening in social work in industrial settings.
Work environment
A social worker serves in a variety of settings and spheres. They can work in settings that are at times conventional and staid or unconventional and extremely challenging. They may work in the deep rural interior parts of the country or in urban set-ups taking up case work or community developmental projects, adult education, youth development, communication and family and child welfare. This type of work is at the grassroots level involving personal interaction with a cross-section of society.
A social worker serves in a variety of settings and spheres. They can work in settings that are at times conventional and staid or unconventional and extremely challenging. They may work in the deep rural interior parts of the country or in urban set-ups taking up case work or community developmental projects, adult education, youth development, communication and family and child welfare. This type of work is at the grassroots level involving personal interaction with a cross-section of society.
With the required formal training, social workers can take on all types of assignments where people and society are the primary subject.
A graduate in social work can also work with prison inmates, juvenile delinquents and mentally disturbed people. They could work as counsellors or therapists at prisons, remand homes, mental/general hospitals, rehabilitation centres etc. Social workers may also be absorbed in the private as well as government sector to deal with labour and social welfare schemes.
Skills you’ll need
Attitudinal skills hold utmost importance in this profession. No amount of professional training can inculcate the right attitudes and abilities that allow a social worker to function productively. Sympathy and tolerance of human frailty; adaptability; interest in people; desire to help people by setting aside personal bias, ability to communicate with people at all levels of society, patience and a sense of empathy, mental agility and flexibility to find a solution to problems; perseverance; ability to understand the lives of people belonging to different strata of the society, the ability to consider the interests of others even when they are not appreciative; and an objective and practical approach to problems of others are qualities and attitudes to start off with. If one is not sure of committing to the cause of social work, try out some volunteer work or a part-time job just to get the feel of the job.
Attitudinal skills hold utmost importance in this profession. No amount of professional training can inculcate the right attitudes and abilities that allow a social worker to function productively. Sympathy and tolerance of human frailty; adaptability; interest in people; desire to help people by setting aside personal bias, ability to communicate with people at all levels of society, patience and a sense of empathy, mental agility and flexibility to find a solution to problems; perseverance; ability to understand the lives of people belonging to different strata of the society, the ability to consider the interests of others even when they are not appreciative; and an objective and practical approach to problems of others are qualities and attitudes to start off with. If one is not sure of committing to the cause of social work, try out some volunteer work or a part-time job just to get the feel of the job.
Way ahead
With the generous inflow of funds for various developmental programmes, the prospects for social workers are very good. National and global NGOs and international bodies like UN and its various agencies are the ones which offer the best remuneration packages. For these assignments however, knowledge of a foreign language is an asset. One can find employment with hospitals, clinics, HIV/AIDS counselling and rehabilitation centres, child guidance clinics, community health centres, community development projects both in the government and non-government sectors, remand homes, prisons etc. Salaries are proportionate with the level of responsibility and spectrum of activities.
With the generous inflow of funds for various developmental programmes, the prospects for social workers are very good. National and global NGOs and international bodies like UN and its various agencies are the ones which offer the best remuneration packages. For these assignments however, knowledge of a foreign language is an asset. One can find employment with hospitals, clinics, HIV/AIDS counselling and rehabilitation centres, child guidance clinics, community health centres, community development projects both in the government and non-government sectors, remand homes, prisons etc. Salaries are proportionate with the level of responsibility and spectrum of activities.
Advancement to supervisor, assistant director or executive director of a social service agency or department is possible and generally requires an MSW degree and related work experience. Employers choose to promote those who have an MSW degree. Post-graduates in anthropology, psychology, sociology and other related disciplines also find themselves in management positions in non-governmental organisations and international agencies after work experience related to social work.