Skills for today’s social challenges

According to a 2010 national study funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, Australia’s community and health services are among the fastest growing sectors of employment in the nation.

The study, The social work & human services workforce: Report from a national study of education, training and workforce needs, shows that while employment numbers are up, there is a significant undersupply of professionally qualified Social Workers and Human Services practitioners to meet industry demand.

The study was co-authored by Professor Karen Healy, from The University of Queensland (UQ) and Professor Bob Lonne, from Queensland University of Technology.

To address this alarming finding, UQ has undertaken exciting changes to its Bachelor of Human Services program to provide students with the best combination of practical skills and knowledge of any human services degree in Queensland.

The updated program now provides students with the opportunity to undertake in-depth study in a specific field such as Applied Psychology, Criminology, Peace and Conflict Studies, Public Policy, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and Sociology, and have this field recognised as a major when they graduate.

Head of UQ’s School of Social Work and Human Services, Professor Howard Karger, said the changes will ensure UQ continues to provide highly-trained graduates to meet the demanding needs of the industry.

“We pride ourselves on being responsive to industry demands and market trends. Enabling students to specialise in a chosen field means that our graduates will enter the community and human services industry with job ready skills to create positive change immediately,” Professor Karger said.

“Human services practitioners have the potential to make an enormous difference to the wellbeing of individuals, families or even whole communities.

"Our program will provide an ideal launch pad into this highly rewarding career and I am very please to say that we are raising the bar for this professional qualification.”

The Bachelor of Human Services is a three-year program, involving two industry professional placements in human services organisations, many of which lead directly to employment opportunities after graduation.

Career fields include, youth services, disability services, mental health, corrections and justice systems, employment and income security, and services to the older population.

To find out more about UQ’s Bachelor of Human Services, visit www.uq.edu.au/study>/a>or call the School of Social Work and Human Services on 3365 2068.

Media: Helen Burdon, Marketing and Communications Manager, UQ Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, (07) 3346 9279