Study to show the impact of 50 years of social work

A unique new study is being proposed by academics at Robert Gordon University (RGU) to review the impact of its social work education as the programme celebrates its 50^th year.

The university – and Robert Gordon’s Technical College (RGIT) before it – has delivered a range of social work qualifications over the decades, after it was formed from the previous subject named ‘Liberal Studies’.

From a Certificate in Social Work in the 1968 to two BA (Hons) and MSc in 2018, RGU has become the largest provider of social work graduates in Scotland.

To mark this anniversary, the School of Applied Social Studies are reaching out to alumni from across the past 50 years to find out the impact their degree had on their lives and careers.

Janine Bolger, Associate Head of the School of Applied Social Studies, said: “There are thousands of RGU social work graduates who have gone on to work the length and breadth of the country, however there is limited published research around evaluating social work education and training.

“We are looking to speak with anyone who qualified through one of our social work programmes over the past five decades and not only learn about where they went on to work and how their training helped, but to hear their personal experiences practicing as a social work professional.

“Another key thing we are interested in researching is the societal impact that social work students or graduates have had on service users in the north-east.”

There are a number of celebrations planned for later in the year in honour of the 50 year celebration, to include alumni and current students alike.

If you studied social work at RGU or want to pass on the stories of someone who did, email the social work team.