Results from a Statewide Workforce Assessment

Background: This paper discusses findings from a multiple-methods assessment of the social work labor force in a Midwestern state. The assessment was driven by key challenges facing the state’s social work labor force, which are central to issues of racial and economic inequality: low racial and ethnic diversity of the professional workforce and a shortage of licensed social workers serving rural communities. The assessment differentiated between professional definitions of social workers and the occupational category of social work widely used in labor markets. The assessment was a collaborative effort between a public research university and the state’s National Association of Social Workers chapter.

Methods: We used a mixed-methods approach, collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data through sequenced components in two phases. In Phase I, we conducted focus groups in five regions, selected to represent rural areas and diverse populations. We then interviewed professionals at state levels and fields of practice under-represented in focus groups. Focus groups and interviews were used to shape the content of surveys administered in Phase II: 1) Survey of administrators of all schools of social work in the state regarding student enrollments and demographics; 2) Survey of degreed social workers regarding educational and work experiences; and 3) Survey of employers, focusing on recruitment and retention. Quantitative analysis included descriptives (frequencies, measures of central tendency and dispersion), and for group comparisons, ANOVA, independent samples t-tests, and chi-square tests of association. For qualitative data, thematic analysis was applied to detailed notes from focus groups and interviews, and open-ended survey responses.

Results: Findings were organized in three categories: 1) social work education; 2) social work labor markets; and 3) professional concerns. To illustrate each: 1) MSW and BSW programs demonstrated less racial and ethnic diversity than programs nationally, but exceeded percentages of under-represented minorities in the state’s population (5-6% of social work students were African-American; between 6-11% were Latino/a); the proportion of females was higher in this state than nationally (88-90%). 2) Recruitment was reported by social workers and employers alike as far more challenging than retention for most organizations. Recruiting bilingual social workers and social workers in rural areas were the most difficult recruitment issues, and the demands of managed care, the most consistent threat to retention. 3) Professional identity and commitment among social workers was strong, revealed by workforce measures and qualitative comments. Yet financial issues, including low salaries and student debt burden, were serious problems for many. Fewer than 12% had received loan forgiveness and nearly 25% held more than one job.

Conclusions: This workforce assessment applied a broad lens in order to understand current and emergent workforce needs in one state, examining the intersecting roles of social work education programs, experiences of practicing social workers, and perspectives of individuals in the position of employing them. An action plan created from study findings identifies specific strategies for NASW, in collaboration with community partners, to initiate within the coming years. The presentation will discuss some of these strategies and plans to evaluate their effectiveness.