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Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD, today announced the launch of two ground breaking pathways in social work education. These new initiatives aim to make the profession more accessible and diverse, offering flexible and practical routes for aspiring social workers.
These new pathways consist of:
1. An innovative “earn while you learn” apprenticeship in social work, allowing participants to gain invaluable on-the-job experience while earning a salary. The program leads to a Level 9 qualification in Social Work, equipping graduates with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential for their careers.
2. A social work tertiary degree pathway, co-delivered by University College Cork and Cork Education and Training Board. This program offers a new route to obtaining an undergraduate degree in Social Work outside the CAO system, making it more accessible for a wider range of students.
These new pathways are a significant step forward in opening up the social work profession, making it more inclusive and reflective of the diverse society it serves.
Speaking today at TUSLA's offices in Cork Minister O’Donovan said:
"These exciting new pathways will allow a whole new cohort of learners to access social work training, opening the profession to a more diverse range of people and helping to combat the recruitment challenges facing employers of social workers.”
Social workers work across a wide variety of public services, including services in disability, health, mental health, children protection and welfare, criminal justice and housing service. These new pathways will allow employers access to a new and diverse talent pool of employees who are committed to their work and the sector.
Welcoming the creation of this route, Minister of State for Disability Anne Rabbitte TD said:
“A strong pipeline of social workers is crucial for sustaining the delivery of our health and welfare services, and these new pathways will undoubtedly bolster the numbers of people working in this space. As the Minister for Disability, I’ve seen first-hand the impact social workers have in both advocating for and empowering people with disabilities, so this is a most welcome development.”
Speaking today, Professor Stephen Byrne, Deputy President and Registrar, UCC said:
“UCC are delighted to be part of the first ever Apprenticeship and Tertiary Pathway into Social Work which are designed to meet the needs of the social work sector and open up opportunities for people who want to pursue a career in social work throughout Ireland.”
Kate Duggan CEO of TUSLA remarked:
“Social workers are crucial to our organisation and we are delighted to offer 25 apprenticeships that will allow the successful applicants to be fully employed by TUSLA, and receive invaluable on-the-job experience and mentoring, while pursuing a Master of Social Work or Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies.”
Bernard Gloster, HSE, CEO said:
“I would encourage as many people as possible to think about a career in social work. You’ll join approx. 1700 social workers in the HSE who work in multidisciplinary teams in primary care, mental health services, disability, older person services and in our hospitals.”
Registrations for the apprenticeship in social work are now underway with full information available on www.apprenticeship.ie and applications for the tertiary programme in social work are now open at www.nto.ie
The Social Work Tertiary Degree is a four-year qualification leading to a CORU-approved Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). It is the first tertiary degree to be offered by University College Cork and was developed in partnership with Cork Education and Training Board.
Tertiary Degrees, first launched in July 2023, are a new educational pathway with seamless progression from Further Education and Training into Higher Education to earn an undergraduate degree.
Students can start studying in a local Education and Training Board and graduate from a Higher Education Institution with the dual benefits of both campuses throughout.
No tuition fee or student contribution fee applies for the duration of the tuition delivered by the ETB and the Free Fees Initiative and student contribution arrangements apply for the duration of the tuition delivered by the HEI (Higher Education Institution). Students registered on the tertiary programmes are eligible to apply for the student grant, subject to the eligibility criteria.
These degrees do not use CAO points as an entry mechanism and have tailored entry requirements to ensure that potential learners are a good fit for the programme they are looking to undertake.
Students undertaking the Bachelor of Social Work tertiary degree will spend their first year in Cork College of Further Education while taking weekly lectures at UCC. Years two, three and four will be delivered in UCC with 14-week practice placements in years three and four.
The course has a planned intake of 21 students in September 2024, and details of how to apply are published on www.nto.ie .
The newly developed apprenticeship in Social Work leads to a NFQ Level 9 CORU-approved Masters or Postgraduate Diploma. It is 24 months in duration, with 15 months of on-the-job learning and 9 months university-based training. Following the completion of their programme, apprentices will be eligible to register as a Social Worker and commence a career in social work.
The opportunity to develop an apprenticeship in social work was first identified by University College Cork, and a consortium steering group has been working on a collaborative basis to develop this programme since June of 2023. The consortium is industry led, with a chairperson from the Irish Association of Social Workers.
The pilot programme will be delivered by University College Cork. The maximum intake in this pilot year is 37. It is hoped that the apprenticeship will expand in future years with additional education providers and employers coming on board.
Apprentices are employees and will earn a wage from day one as agreed with their employer. This is expected to attract a more diverse cohort of learners to the profession.