Kia tutuki ai ngā whainga me ngā tumanako kia mau tonu i ngā mahi
Through working together our goals and objectives will be achieved
Kia tutuki ai ngā whainga me ngā tumanako kia mau tonu i ngā mahi
Through working together our goals and objectives will be achieved
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What is the real impact of unpaid placements on social workers? Join us for an insightful webinar where two distinguished experts will share their unique perspectives on this critical issue.
In this session we’ll hear from Bex Howells and Leighton Watson on their recent mahi to raise the profile of this critical issue.
Why paid training matters
Aotearoa has chronic workforce shortages in essential services like social work. Paid training is about equitable access to education and training, sustainable workforce growth, and accessible services for whānau and communities.
Presenter: Bex Howells
Bex is the founder of Paid Placements Aotearoa, where she led a nationwide campaign 
advocating for paid training in female-dominated professions. With a Master's thesis on the impact of unpaid placements, Bex now empowers women through 1:1 coaching, helping them rise, thrive, and claim their worth in the workplace.
Modelling the long-term financial impact of university fees and unpaid placements on social workers
There are substantial workforce shortages in a variety of essential services in Aotearoa, including social work, which requires tertiary qualifications during which students must partake in compulsory unpaid placements while paying fees to tertiary education providers. We develop a numerical model to explore the impact of unpaid training on long-term earnings and retirement savings. We show that it takes 10.6 years since starting to study before a social worker has higher cumulative income than a minimum wage worker who has been working full-time during the same period, despite the higher salary of the social worker. Furthermore, it takes 13.9 years before the social worker has greater retirement savings. This highlights the impact of time out of the workforce upskilling and shows that while university qualifications do give higher earning potentials, it can take a long time before these rewards are realised. The results of this work suggest that we should consider alternative training pathways to attract and retain workers in social work, as well as in other industries like education and healthcare.
Presenter: Leighton Watson
Leighton is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Canterbury. 
He has done mathematical modelling of natural hazards and Covid-19, and is interested in using maths to highlight social issues.
Cost
Free to ANZASW members
$40 to non-members
More info on joining our community here.