We need to hire more social workers: Chan Chun Sing
The Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) will make the hiring of social workers an urgent priority, said the ministry's acting head, Chan Chun Sing, on Thursday.
Speaking at a symposium to celebrate the Singapore Association of Social Workers' (SASW's) 40th anniversary, Chan said that as Singapore society faces challenges such as an ageing population and shrinking family size, demands on the profession will rise.
It was reported that the ministry last year estimated that about 60 social workers would be needed every year for the next five years, but that the number of workers being produced may not be sufficient that demand.
The poor public image of social work has been cited as a reason that not many enter the profession, although that perception could be changing.
President of the Singapore Association of Social Workers, Dr Kalayani Mehta, told Channel NewsAsia, "Parents used to think that you don't earn very much in social work, (that) you are overworked, underpaid.
"But gone are those days. Because internationally the social work profession has come a long way and it has established itself."
Chan said MCYS will continue to collaborate with the National Council of Social Services (NCSS) and SASW to attract, nurture and retain social workers in the social service sector.
"We will put in place initiatives to encourage more structured supervision and mentoring programmes to facilitate the transmission of social work values and skills from one generation to the next," he added.
Saying that his ministry will create schemes to develop expertise in specialised practices and sharpen the leadership skills of social workers, he highlighted that this is to ensure the social services meet the ever-changing needs of Singaporeans.
He said that MCYS will also work with the organisations to promote the "excellent work" of social workers to allow the public to understand the value of it and the significant role that they play.
"With these efforts, we hope more committed people will join the social work profession and contribute to society in a tangible way," he said.
The theme for the symposium "The Role of Social Work Professionals in National Building" was also in line with Chan's speech as he touched on the contributions made by social workers in the past decades.
As early as 1953, he pointed out that social workers under the Malayan Association of Almoners were already active in championing for the introduction or improvement of social services.
For example, the group had tried to negotiate for better terms in the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, and also made various efforts to voice out for those who are chronically ill.
He also praised two workers — Han Yah Yee, a general manager at the Marine Parade Family Service Centre and senior social worker at the Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre Mohamed Fareez — for their dedication to their job.
"No matter which era, which stage of development we are at, or if the economy is up or down, the value of social workers as agents of social change will remain unchanged," said Chan.
