Three Purposes in training social workers

Three Purposes in training social workers

(a)    Socialwork is in need of receiving professional recognition. It is characterized by complex problems; it deals with the most serious phases of life; it has far-reaching, permanent results in other words, it has all the essentials of a profession, except full standing. It is denied complete professional recognition because its representatives have not as a class sought thorough training.

Social welfare agencies from the standpoint of efficiency suffer greatly because of ill- trained workers. But through the activities of training schools for social workers, social  welfare institutions are able to transform their official personnel from a combination of paid but self-trained individuals and untrained irregular volunteers to an integrated group of paid, thoroughly trained workers, assisted by seriously-minded young people  who are rendering volunteer service under the joint  direction of trained social workers and the supervisors of a school of social work, and who are in preparation for a life work.

(b)    The main forms of social field work give students in sociology one of the best possible introductions to an understanding of the problems of Social life. The student of sociology who supplements his classroom work with social field work places himself in a strategic position with reference to securing an understanding of what is actually taking place in human society. Classroom discussion by itself is sometimes unfortunately remote from real life. Class or group discussions of social problems, carried on pari passu with daily contacts with the phases of social life that are under discussion afford ideal bases for learning. Such opportunities for college students are usually few; almost all students are compelled to study books rather than life. Training courses in social work, however, afford a combination of sociological discussion and social work activity which is unusually stimulating and conducive to student development.

(c)     A social work training course gives the beginner the experience which he must have if he is to reach a professional rank. Volunteer social work under the joint supervision of a training school and of welfare institutions introduces the volunteer by graduated steps to an understanding of, and an ability to handle, the problems of professional social work.  The pathway is made clear and the first part of the journey is carefully directed, while at the same time the beginner is to an increasing degree put upon his initiative.

Source: EMORY S. BOGARDUS (Methods of Training Social Workers)