Pathways to Social Work - Surveying the motivations and challenges in becoming a social worker

The UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work, and Social Justice authored report, Pathways to Social Work - Surveying the Motivations and Challenges in Becoming a Social Worker, examines pathways into the social work profession. Where most research on this subject examine why students choose social work as a profession, this study is unique in the way it examines the barriers to students becoming social workers.

The report details findings from engagement with students in the UCD social care and social policy programmes and a number of social work courses. Specifically, it explores participants perspectives on social work education, their perception of the motivations and challenges in joining the profession, and what can be done to attract more candidates. Following from these findings and drawing upon important research that has recently been conducted in this area, the report calls for a national strategy for the profession of social work.

The findings help inform issues associated with the provision of social work education in Ireland, and how these are related to workforce planning and retention of social workers within the workforce.

Any queries in respect of this report please contact externalhr@equality.gov.ie