Vocational qualifications: an opportunity for professional social work education

Abstract

Because vocational qualifications (VQs) and academic awards constitute separate systems in the UK, they have been apt to trade criticisms or, at best, ignore each other rather than build links between the two types of qualification. Criticisms of VQs focus on their alleged failure to appreciate the importance of knowledge and transferable skills. Criticisms of academic awards highlight their alleged failure to develop competences for work. Yet these criticisms ignore the potential benefit of increased student access to qualifications by linking the two systems. The academic credits given to assessed work-based learning on Diploma in Social Work placements suggest a possible link with VQs for British social work education.

The UK professional qualification for social work should remain within higher education, but university social work departments could locate the fast-developing higher-level VQs and higher-level full-time general vocational qualifications (GNVQS) within the structures of combined professional and academic awards such as the DipSW. Universities' expertise in curriculum development, quality assurance, and assessment processes could contribute to the development of higher-level VQs. This might benefit university-based social work education in the UK by improving access for qualifications and thus promoting anti-oppressive educational practice.