The Minister for Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, invites unemployed Social Workers to register on a new database aimed at keeping a record of all unemployed qualified social workers in the country.
The database will be used to lobby for funds to create social work posts that are required within the public service. Currently there are nine thousand four hundred and fifty six (9 456) social workers in the employ of government.
The Unemployed Social Workers Database will also inform the department about the number of unemployed social workers who have studied outside the Social Development scholarship programme. This is in response to the issue raised by communities and the media that there are qualified social workers who are unemployed.
The government Draft Scarce Skills and Policy Framework of 2003 recognised social work as a scarce skill and mandated the development of strategies to facilitate the recruitment and retention of such scarce skills.
The Department of Social Development has been the main driver in the implementation of this social policy. In addition, the National Development Plan refers to social work as a scarce skill and indicates that 60 000 social workers will be needed by 2030 to serve our population.
Those who qualify and are interested in registering must submit the following information to the department:
- Name and Surname
- Contact details (Physical Address, cell number/ landline number, e-mail address)
- Province of origin
- Name of Qualification
- Year of qualification
- Registration status with the council for social work (if registered please provide registration number)
Submissions may be made using the following options:
Hand deliveries – The Department of Social Development, HSRC Building, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria
Fax: 086 547 1262
Enquiries on the registration process may be directed to:
Kefiloe Bosman
Tel: 012 312 7223
Cell: 073 726 8178
E-mail: Kefiloeb@dsd.gov.za
Vuyelwa Mngadi
Tel: 012 312 7294
Cell: 082 997 2416
E-mail: Vuyelwam@dsd.gov.za
Alternatively enquiries may be directed to the department’s Customer Care Unit on the following numbers:
- 012 312 7980
- 012 312 7233
- 012 312 7221
- 012 312 7091
- 012 312 7232
- 012 312 7716
For media enquiries:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
E-mail: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
