Some of the areas of Social work are - Healthcare, Education, Counseling, Social Well-being, Public Policy-making, etc. Most Social Workers today work at established NGOs or start one of their own. Again the kind of work in these offices/sectors could range from Fund raising, data-collection, surveying, conflict studies, Marketing, handling finances, negotiating with the Government to otherdiverse range of works that also include Technology, PR, Media studies, Documentary and Film-making.
Most of the activities and work are field-based and involve direct interaction with the people who are being impacted and helped as a part of the cause. Additionally, some social-work experts conduct research, advocate for improved services, or become involved in planning or policy development. Many social workers specialize in serving a particular population or working in a specific setting. For each specific area of work, there are certifications and licenses to be obtained before-hand.
A set of new avenues for a study in Social Work have come up, which include the Bachelors and Masters in Social Work(BSW or MSW), and a series of various specialization courses which have been startedat many universities across India.One look at the courses on offer at Symbiosis PUNE and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) throws important light on the different subjects that one could develop into:
- Health Administration and Hospital Administration
- Public Health
- Globalization and Labour
- Human Resources Management and Labour Relations
- Social Entrepreneurship
- Development Studies
- Disability Studies
- Disaster Management
- Habitat Policy & Practice
- Women’s Studies
Career Prospects
A degree in Social work could fetch a position in Governmental as well as non-governmental sector. In the governmental sector, you would be working on community development projects pertaining to health, education, rural development, child, woman and tribal welfare etc. Work in NGOs’ can be specific to either urban or rural areas and as diverse asagriculture to child labor. Postgraduates in Social Work could have CSR-related job opportunities in the industrial and corporate sector. Corporate Social Responsibility is once again an new concept in the world of Social Change and Development (will be discussed in detail soon).
Students opting social work as career may find jobs in child welfare and community service societies for providing mental, health, medical, educational and correctional services. Now a days, many NGOs and government agencies are also working for environmental protection and conservation, whichis a great field of interesting research and work.
Institutes Offering
Several institutes and universities offer Bachelors and Master Degrees in Social Work in India. Some of the most important ones are Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta; Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai; Institute of Social Sciences, Agra; University of Delhi, Delhi; Rajasthan University, M.S. University of Baroda, Bombay University, Aurangabad University, Mangalore University, Loyola College of Social Sciences, Trivandrum and Madras School of Social Work, Chennai.
Salary and Remuneration
Remunerations of certified and licensed professional social worker could vary according to their job profile, qualification, area of expertise, the community they work in and previous work experience. Those employed in government’s community developmental projects have starting earnings of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 in rural and Rs.15,000 to 20,000 incity/urban areas. Those working for NGOs also have similar pay structures. Onecan expect higher salary in corporate houses and industries for CSR and other related roles. The Social Workers who are running their own NGOs would bemaking good earnings once they establish themselves and earn a good reputation in their area of work.
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