Social worker: career information
What is a social worker?
A social worker helps people to deal with personal and social problems.
Social workers can also plan and carry out programs to benefit entire communities.
What does a social worker do?
Social workers can work with clients or communities by:
- counselling people through a crisis due to death, illness, relationships, or any other reason
- providing clients with information on services that may assist them
- guiding small groups of people to share experiences and support
- researching community problems, needs and solutions
- developing policy and evaluating programs
- analysing statistics and writing reports
What pathways will enable me to become a social worker?
Note: some certificate courses may take longer through traineeships
What other jobs can a career in social work lead to?
Social workers can readily expand their careers into many roles including
- youth worker
- disability support worker
- welfare worker
- rehabilitation counsellor
- welfare manager
- sociologist
- health promotion officer
How can I gain employment as a social worker?
There are a number of courses you can do in order to become a social worker:
- Bachelor of Social Science
- Bachelor of Social Work
These are 3 year courses held at Curtin, Edith Cowan, Notre Dame and UWA Universities.
You can also work in this area by completing any of the mental health Certificate IV qualifications in the mental health field.
Some of these are illustrated in the career pathways diagram.
Additional information
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations provides programs, training and support for Indigenous students.
Curtin’s Gunada Centre for Aboriginal Studies located in Bentley, Perth can be contacted on (08) 9266 7091 or go to www.gunada.curtin.edu.au
Edith Cowan’s Kurongkurl Katitjin School
of Indigenous Australian Studies can be
contacted on (08) 9780 7710 or go to
www.kk.ecu.edu.au/future/isit.html
UWA’s School of Indigenous Studies can be contacted on (08) 6488 1100 or go to www.sis.uwa.edu.au
University of Notre Dame’s Student Services can be contacted on (08) 9433 0580 or go to www.nd.edu.au
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