Social work students to complete final placement

HOME STRETCH: UniSA Mount Gambier final year social work students Lucy Stevens, Emma Neale, Natarsha Bosko, field educator Paula McCubbin, Sarah McKenzie and Samantha Norton will complete their final 500 hours of placement in the next few weeks.

HOME STRETCH: UniSA Mount Gambier final year social work students Lucy Stevens, Emma Neale, Natarsha Bosko, field educator Paula McCubbin, Sarah McKenzie and Samantha Norton will complete their final 500 hours of placement in the next few weeks.

FINAL year social work students at UniSA’s Mount Gambier campus will finish their final 500 hours of field education placement in the next few weeks.

The fourth-year students have been hosted by local mental health and human service agencies, including the Department of Child Protection, Department of Correctional Services and Mount Gambier Children’s Centre.

The students have put the knowledge they learnt over the past four years into practice during their placements and have had a taste of the pressures and rewards associated with the social work profession.

UniSA social work field educator Paula McCubbin said there were many areas of social work students could pursue a career in, including government and non-government agencies, as well as various aspects of working with the community.

“It is hard to define social work due to it being so vast and broad,” Ms McCubbin said.

“A simple definition is social workers enhance wellbeing through advocacy, social change, positive relationships and the empowerment of people.

“The best thing about being a social worker is making a difference in the lives of individuals, couples, families and communities by assisting people and communities to develop new ways of managing life.”

UniSA offers the social work program on campus or externally.

School leavers and those who are looking for a career change can study full or part time.

Ms McCubbin said the program had a high employment success rate in the South East.