License for social work practice needed – Association of Social Workers
Mr Alexis Dery, Vice-President of the Ghana Association of Social Workers, has said there is the need to license the social work practitioners in the country.
He said this would not only help regulate the practice and training of social workers and weed out the unqualified ones but also place higher standards on the practitioners.
He said social work was a global profession and that its principles, ethics and standards were the same; just that the context of the practice varied from country to country, depending on several factors, including historical experiences and social problems which required the attention of social workers.
Mr Dery said this in his presentation at a career fair organised by the University of Ghana’s Department of Social Work Alumni Association, in collaboration with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ).
The event, held under the theme: “Connection to Your Future,” registered over 500 students from several departments including social work, psychology, sociology and political science.
It provided an opportunity for students to acquire knowledge and skills in terms of how they prepare themselves for the world of work.
sMr Dery described a social worker as one who by vocation, education and training has fitted himself or herself for a professional occupation, within a private or public institution, engaged in enhancing the well-being of individuals, groups, communities, policy formulation, programme designs and evaluations.
Mr David Yawo-Mensah Tette, Senior National Coordinator at Ghanaian-German Centre, which is being operated under GIZ, said social sciences in the various universities produced the largest numbers of graduates unto the job market.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Professor Mavis Dako-Gyeke, Head of Department of Social Work, University of Ghana, said the career fair created an avenue to engage them and also let employers and other stakeholders have discussions with students.
She urged students to take advantage of such initiatives, also tasked academic institutions, especially heads of departments to link students with potential employers, so that students would know what was awaiting them when they graduate from school.
Source: GNA