Dr Chan of Baptist University: more than academic training

Whether a time of economic difficulties and readjustment or upswing, social work is one profession which is always needed.

The Department of Social Work at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) aims to cater for this growing need by offering a three-year Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and a two-year part-time Master of Social Work (MSW) degree.

"The department regards social work as a culture- and context-bound profession that aims to improve individual problem-solving ability, social relationships, conditions and social justice," says Dr Chan Kai Fong, the head of the department. She stresses that the programmes offered are intended to provide an education for the whole person so that graduates can meet the social service needs of the community in a flexible, realistic, creative and professional yet caring manner.

"The programmes are not confined to academic training in an ivory tower but cover all aspects of education - cognitive, psychological, even spiritual," explains Dr Chan.

"Our BSW course is one of the most popular programmes both among the different social work courses in Hong Kong and within the curriculum of the university."

There are close to 4,000 applications every year for the programme of which the department can only accept about 45.

Something special
The social work programmes at the five universities in Hong Kong which offer this option have similar design components in order to meet the requirements of the Social Workers Registration Board. However, HKBU differentiates itself by being a small but friendly department where learning takes place in an environment of close teacher-student relationships.

Besides, while fieldwork has long been an integral part of undergraduate training, HKBU's programme is the first to offer undergraduates fieldwork placements in mainland China each summer.

"We are the first training institute to place social work undergraduates in Guangzhou," says Dr Chan. She adds that the department has long-standing links with welfare agencies on the mainland and has recently held joint training with Tsinghua University in Beijing.

It was only in 1995 that the first pilot project to send students to Guangzhou took place. Two students worked there that summer in a well-known mental hospital while another two worked in a school for retarded children.

The department is now trying to explore placement opportunities in other countries, such as Canada, the US and New Zealand. "Last year we planned to send two students to Toronto to help in a bilingual social service centre. Because of SARS we had to postpone this," Dr Chan notes.

Course funding Since it began in 1997, the MSW postgraduate programme has been admitting 20 students every two years. From 2005 there will be no more government subsidies and all courses will be self-financing. This, though, will give the department greater flexibility. If it chooses it can admit 25 or 30 students per intake in future.

The course is part-time and participants must have a first degree in any subject - preferably education or psychology, if not social work - and at least two years' work experience, again preferably in social work. Those who complete the course will be qualified to become senior practitioners or take up advisory posts.

"They enjoy small classes and a very interactive learning mode, not just lectures but also a lot of discussion and debate. The idea is to encourage students to reflect critically on their own practice," says Dr Chan.

In order to increase the competitive edge of the HKBU programme, the department has developed two "concentration subjects" at MSW level. One is in youth work, the other in mental health.

Dr Chan says there have been a lot of openings in the last two years for people to work in the Integrated Youth Teams initiated by some non-governmental organisations.

She adds that the department will launch a new programme, the Master of Social Science in Youth Counselling, in September 2004.

The mental health specialisation, put together in collaboration with the university's School of Chinese Medicine, is also unique and incorporates developments in Chinese medicine.

Course information

Job prospects good "In spite of the [recent] economic downturn, the employment rate for our graduates is still very satisfactory," says Dr Chan. "In 2001-02, 100 percent of graduates found jobs." She says that the majority of graduates (over 80 percent) have managed to find social work jobs. Only a small number of graduates have chosen to work in unrelated fields. In the last few years there have been few vacancies for social workers in government departments: the Social Welfare Department, which anyway prefers people with work experience, has frozen recruitment, except for some temporary jobs. An exception to the general trend, however, has been the school sector. A lot of money is being invested and, as it expands, there is a growing demand for educational counsellors. A few graduates find academic jobs. "We have about 25 former students who are now scholars serving in local universities," says Dr Chan. The major area of growth has been the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which have more than taken up the slack resulting from the government freeze. Some still hire people of Assistant Social Welfare Officer (ASWO) grade at a salary of HK$18,000 per month. Other jobs, equivalent to the government's ASWO grade, offer a salary of between HK$12,000 and HK$18,000. Graduates unable to find ASWO posts may take up jobs as welfare workers, for which the salary is HK$11,000. They can later apply for ASWO or other posts with better prospects and commanding a higher salary. Not all will find jobs in social work but the training from this course of study strengthens the ability of graduates to work with other people, something which will be an asset in many kinds of work. According to a 1997 study of employers' feedback on the effectiveness of local social work graduates, HKBU graduates were rated at the top in terms of professionalism, assessment skills and organisational conformance. Graduates demonstrated a knowledge and understanding of the organisation for which they were working, understood its philosophy and underpinning values, were aware of the statutory basis of its activities, applied relevant legislation, policies and procedures and complied with its administrative rules and regulations.

Taken from Career Times 2004/02/27