Social Work in Social Change: The Profession and Education of Social Workers in South Africa

As the implementers of government social policy in South Africa, social work professionals have been at the forefront of social change and new approaches since 1994. This study surveys the current state of job satisfaction among social workers and reports on education programs and hiring trends for people in training in the field. The new, national, standardized Bachelor of Social Work degree is shown to be a success, and enrollment and graduation statistics confirm that African females, rather than white females, are now the dominant student profile. Enrollment has also increased significantly, but a worrisome trend also shows higher numbers of graduates being lost to emigration.