This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fast track continues for social work graduates
31/07/2003
Another 70 graduates are to be fast tracked into social work posts to meet increasing demand on the profession, it was announced today.
The graduates - who will need to have relevant degrees or experience - will complete the social work diploma within 15 to 18 months rather than the usual three years.
Fifty places were originally on offer when the fast track scheme was announced in January. Over 1,000 people applied so the number of places has been increased to 120.
The announcement comes on the day that new figures show that while the number of social workers increased by 144 between 2001 and 2002, the number of vacancies also rose by 93.
Deputy Minister for Education and Young People Euan Robson said:
"We are succeeding in our efforts to recruit and retain more social workers but there can be no let up if supply is to keep up with demand.
"The fast track scheme will allow us to get people trained and into jobs quicker and those who complete the diploma will be targeted at areas with the highest number of vacancies.
"The scheme is just one of many initiatives being driven forward under our Action Plan for the Social Services Workforce, which aims to boost recruitment and retention and create a modern profession for the 21 st century.
"It is important to note that the figures published today pre-date many of these initiatives. For example, two weeks after these figures were collated we launched our national recruitment and awareness campaign. To date this has generated almost 70,000 visits to the website and over 3,300 calls to the helplines from people wanting more information about vacancies or careers.
"At the same time there has been a huge rise in the number of people undertaking courses in this field. This summer, 469 students will qualify as social workers - a massive 25% increase on the previous year.
"Providing first class education and training is a vital part of attracting people into the profession. We are making massive strides in this area, including a new Institute for Excellence in Social Work Education which I launched yesterday.
"These measures, together with the financial incentives for newly-qualified social workers, represent a major investment in the profession and I am confident we will continue to see more social workers joining or returning to the profession in future years."