SOCIAL WORKERS

Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for Community Development if he will state:

(a) what is the number of qualified social workers;

(b) whether a formal registration for social workers is required;

(c) what is their salary scale based on; and

(d) how many trained social workers are not working in their professional capacity.

Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: Number of qualified social workers

In Singapore, the only tertiary institution for training in social work is the National University of Singapore. Since 1974, the University has trained an estimated 830 social workers. In addition, there is a small number of social workers who are trained overseas.

Whether a formal registration for social workers is required

Formal registration of social workers is not required.

Salary scale of social workers

In the Civil Service, social work graduates are paid the same salary as other graduates on similar grades. A graduate with a degree in social work in the Welfare Scheme of Service has the same salary as a graduate in the Executive Scheme of Service.

Last year the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) commissioned a study of the salary scales of workers in occupations similar to social workers. They adopted a salary scale which is comparable to what the Civil Service now pays its social workers.

Number of trained social workers not working in their professional capacity

In 1992, the Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW) conducted a study on the number of social workers in social work related jobs. The study found that over the years about half of the NUS social work graduates of each cohort took up social work related jobs. Subsequently, only a third of the cohort remained in social work related jobs. Table 1 - Year-on-year Growth of Retail Sales Turnover, Breakdown of Visitor Arrivals, 1992-1993, Average Expenditure Per Person for 1992-1993 (Cols. 1071 - 1072) Table - SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FUND (Cols. 1073 - 1074)