AIWCW believes that to teach in a welfare work/community
services course, both relevant experience and relevant qualifications are
necessary. The core areas of the course relating to this particular
professional vocation, such as counselling, group work and community work, are
probably best taught by someone with adequate generic qualifications in welfare
work or social work. AIWCW insists that those with professional duties
involving the whole course, such as the course leader and the field education
coordinator have these qualifications at least (or are otherwise eligible for
membership of AIWCW). Ideally, all teachers should have such an academic
background. However, there is recognition that as a minimum, teachers should
have qualifications and experience relevant to the subjects in which they
teach. This means that to teach counselling subjects only,
someone may have a BA in psychology, as long as that includes adequate clinical
theory and skills training, not just organisational, assessment or industrial
psychology, or research work. In order to teach community work, if there
is no generic qualification (such as social work/welfare work) which includes
this as part of the course, then a community development diploma should be
held, or another combination of qualifications which includes adequate
attention to working with communities. For the new 2008 Training Packages
subjects relating to introductory psychology and sociology, a Diploma of
Community Welfare Work qualification obtained in 2001-09 will not be
sufficient, since those subject areas were not adequately covered in the old
diploma. Unless an older welfare diploma course or a bachelor degree in welfare
or social work were completed, at least a degree minor (2 years of study) will
normally be required to teach in these new units.
For more generally applicable course content dealing with
such aspects as communication, information, finances, organisations, policy,
occupational health and safety, etc., a variety of academic qualifications
might be quite suitable, including teacher education, a more general BA, or a
combination of several certificates, diplomas and degrees.
AIWCW believes that any amount of experience is no
substitute for an adequate academic background. Many prospective teachers have
had very extensive experience, sometimes for periods exceeding 30 years, and
have accordingly built up impressive skills, together with largely self-taught
`theories-for-practice’. As a practitioner, all this might serve workers and
their clients very well.
However, while it is acknowledged that someone can become a
very skilled practitioner based upon experience alone, in order to teach others there must have been a thorough exposure to
a wide variety of theories, research, and accumulated knowledge, as well as
discussion and debates about moral, ethical, knowledge and theoretical issues,
within an open academic setting. It is believed this is more available in a
university setting, and therefore AIWCW prefers that teachers have at least a
bachelor degree from a university. (This is comparable with the current general
requirements that teachers in bachelor degrees at universities have at least a
PhD.)
AIWCW does allow as a minimum
background to teaching in the generic diploma, the completion of this same
diploma, but believes in general that at least two years of relevant work
experience must elapse following any relevant academic qualification, in order
to gradually integrate the theories and knowledge gained in academic courses
with the real world of practice. It is not appropriate to be teaching others
within a year or so of graduation, and even less appropriate to be teaching
others immediately after graduation or at the same time as being taught (at a
higher academic level) in the same area.
When
substantial relevant work experience (5 years or more) has occurred prior to
completion of the relevant qualification, then a special application may be
made to the MAP, which may vary the requirement for 2 years experience
following completion. Some other limited latitude may be allowed with
regard to these principles, if a case can be made for special consideration. An
appeal can be made to the AIWCW Membership Assessment Panel to waive the
guidelines relating to academic qualifications or experience (but not both), by
submitting extensive evidence and arguments that seek to overcome or compensate
for the above rationale. In particular, the appeal should address the
italicised section of these guidelines. The appeal can be addressed to the
Chairperson, MAP, at the AIWCW National Office.