Professionalising social work

FOR THE first time, community workers in South Africa will be able to obtain professional qualification, as a formal higher certificate programme in community development was unveiled in Cape Town this week.

The idea was the brainchild of the Community Chest, which identified the need for a programme and approached Cornerstone Institute for the academic service.

The programme manager at Community Chest, Joan Daries, said that without formal training, community workers’ efforts were not sustainable.

“We host regular capacity-building programmes and it was during these programmes that we realised there was no formal training or certification for people who want to look after the poor, the destitute and the disenfranchised in our society.

‘‘They have the best intentions in the world, but without formal training their efforts simply cannot be sustainable,” she said.

Daries and her team joined forces with the Cornerstone Institute, a nonprofit higher education institution, to plan an approach to the issue.

The two organisations developed the Higher Certificate in Community Development.

“What we ultimately hope to achieve is the professionalisation of the NGO sector. By offering professional training and certification, we hope to take this sector to new heights. There is no shortage of people who want to address the many issues facing society, but with education, development and training we hope our graduates will also be able to help put measures in place to prevent the very symptoms they are addressing each day.

‘‘It’s about empowering them to help prevent the problem, and not simply trying to cure it,” Daries said.

Cornerstone’s programme co-ordinator for the Higher Certificate in Community Development, René Ngwenya, said other countries had already professionalised their community development worker sectors.

“My vision for the future is that, in 10 years from now, community work will be a recognised educational profession, where people are compensated properly in terms of the time and the effort and the energy they spend in the field, with proper policies in place to formalise this sector,” Ngwenya said.