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Education/training

ISW program opens doors

Helen Wong jokes about the length of the title of the project she directs at Ryerson University -- the Internationally Educated Social Work Professionals Bridging Program. But there's nothing funny about what she and the university hope to accomplish: to enable social workers trained abroad to use their skills and experience in Canada.

DAVID CHILTON

[ 2006-04-05 ]

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Ryerson's ISW bridging programs have 40 employers signed on. At this point there are not enough students to fill all the available job placements.

Many social workers educated outside Canada are either unemployed or under-employed in their field, Wong says, and ISW -- the program's mercifully short name tag -- set about correcting that situation last year with two programs at Ryerson.

The first is a certificate offered through the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at the university that began in September 2005, Wong says. There are 20 students from eight different countries enrolled who spend one 12-hour day a week at Ryerson.

To enrol, students need two years of social work experience in their own (or a third) country and the equivalent of a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or a Master of Social Work (MSW) recognized by the Canadian Association of Social Workers. There are also English proficiency and other tests to take.

"It's a university (level) program," Wong says. "It's really meant to enhance employability and mobility. There is a vast resource of skills that is not being used."

A lot of the learning is contextual. Students are taught the expectations of Canadian employers, for example, how social work is defined in Canada, and some of its history. Enrollees must also complete 200 hours of work placement.

Student age in the program ranges from the late 20s to early 50s, Wong says, with 36 being the average. Tuition costs $1,000, but that will likely go up after 2007 when the government funding underwriting the program ends.

Surekha Nair from India and Anda Gheorghe from Romania are both enrolled in the certificate program. Nair came to Canada in 2001 and has an MSW and a diploma in counselling, but found her resume wasn't getting any response. The Ryerson certificate will provide brand recognition for potential employers, she says, and her time in class is good for making contacts in the social work field.

Gheorghe has a BSW and came here in 2003. At the moment she's working in a daycare centre, but wants to return to her chosen profession. "I really wanted to practice social work in Canada," says Gheorghe, who, like Nair, expects the Ryerson certificate to open doors for her. Gheorghe, who's soon heading off to 10 weeks of work placement at the Children's Aid Society in Toronto, also appreciates being able to work and study at the same time.

Other work placement agencies involved in the program include Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and the Hospital for Sick Children. Wong says there are 40 employers signed on to the program and she has more placements available than she has students.

The second part of the project at Ryerson is a non-credit course offered every Saturday. Wong says there are 18 students from eight different countries enrolled in Orientation to Social Services in Ontario. The course began this January and covers a different topic each week -- ethics, for example, the mental health system in the province, sector-specific vocabulary, and employment opportunities and requirements. Wong says the non-credit course's tuition is $250, the same as any other Ryerson non-credit course.

For anyone interested in either program, Wong says an information night will be held April 20 at Ryerson, with current students coming in to answer any questions potential enrollees may have.