They’re the people many Australians rely on for support in times of crisis, but the Australian government’s most recent Skills Priority List shows a lack of social workers to meet demand in every single state and territory.
To help address that issue, the Australian College of Applied Professions is opening additional places for postgraduate social work students in 2024, with a one-off trimester four intake commencing on 4 November in Adelaide and Melbourne. The move comes in response to the growing demand for places in their social work discipline, particularly in their postgraduate Master of Social Work (Qualifying) and Graduate Certificate of Human Services courses.
The November intake will mark the launch of postgraduate social work at ACAP’s Adelaide campus. To encourage more students to study in South Australia, where social workers have been in short supply since 2022, ACAP will offer new students starting in trimester four or trimester one 2025 at their Adelaide Campus a 20 per cent first-year tuition discount.
Professor Annie Venville is head of Social Work with ACAP and says social workers are already highly employable – and the demand is set to rise.
“There is huge demand for social workers,” Venville says.
“Social work has a higher-than-average employment rate. The latest figures released by the Government suggest that employment for Social Workers is predicted to rise 23.2 per cent by 2026. Social Work is highly diverse and our graduates can work just about anywhere.”
The Australian College of Applied Professions (ACAP) is a university college specialising in delivering accredited courses in psychology, counselling, coaching, criminology, social work, business management, law, and leadership (MBA). ACAP has grown to become one of the largest providers of counselling, psychology and human services programs in Australia, delivering higher education and vocational training to more than 4,000 students annually.
EducationDaily spoke with a postgraduate student and alumnus about what motivated them to pursue a career in social work through ACAP.
Natasha Chamberlain: exploring the healing potential of the profession
Chamberlain completed her Master of Social Work (Qualifying) with ACAP after spending ten years working as a nurse. She decided to embark on a career in social work after experiencing the healing potential of the profession firsthand.
“This year I encountered difficult personal circumstances, which led me to become a single mother of two beautiful kids, and I had a social worker support me through this difficult time,” Chamberlain says.
“This sparked my passion for a selfless career, in which I will be able to focus on supporting people through difficult times in their life.”
After finding study at a mainstream university “overwhelming”, she says she appreciates the personalised approach to education she is receiving at ACAP.
“ACAP has been phenomenal, they have opened the door for me to achieve my new career path and I am very thankful to be a part of this college. What makes ACAP truly special is that you are not just a number, your lecturers and ACAP staff will get to know you.
“Your teachers are all currently employed in a social work role and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with us future social work students.”
David Skidmore: a passion for disability advocacy
ACAP graduate David Skidmore is a qualified social worker and advocate for the
Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association (MDAA). Having previously worked in the not-for-profit sector, David completed ACAP’s Master of Social Work (Qualifying) to launch his career in social work.
“All the lecturers were supportive and well qualified, with some of them active social workers, while still teaching at the same time, so all the experience they were sharing was current and highly relevant,” Skidmore says.
Today, part of Skidmore’s role as a social worker is focused on representing clients living with a disability to help them obtain the best services from agencies such as the NDIS, Centrelink, and the Department of Education. He says empathy is a critical skill to have in the sector.
“Clients don’t want to work with someone who is going through the motions, they want a professional who has an emotional commitment and is invested in them,” he says.
“It doesn’t mean you have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you must show an interest in their issue and do your best to resolve it. That is what will make you stand out.”
