Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe will today address a social sector workshop aimed at expediting the implementation of a sector strategy towards employing more social service professionals.
The strategy is a collective commitment to building a social service workforce that is responsive to the needs of individuals, families and communities.
“As the demand for social services continues to rise amidst the growing burden of social ills such as unemployment, widening inequality gap, crime, teenage pregnancy, substance use disorders and gender-based valence, the employment of social service professionals is emerging as a pressing issue across South Africa,” the Department of Social Development said.
The National Development Plan projects that South Africa requires 55 000 social service professionals by 2030 to meet the growing demand for social services.
Currently, government employs 23 561 social service professionals, comprising social workers, auxiliary social workers, child and youth care workers and community development practitioners, who render essential social services to individuals, families and communities.
The Department of Social Development is the main employer, with 18 948 while 4 613 are employed by other sector departments such as health, education, correctional services and justice.
“At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic the social services professional workforce were in the frontlines of the national response of saving lives and livelihoods.
“Against this background, the Department of Social Development led the development of sector strategy for the employment of social services professionals as part of increasing the human resource capacity of government, non-governmental organisations and the private sector to proactively respond to complex social issues facing South Africa,” the department said.
The sector strategy was approved by Cabinet in February this year and outlines how the increasing demand for social services will be met through among others, the recruitment and retention of unemployed social work graduates.
The two-day workshop is being held at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg. – SAnews.gov.za
