The Department of Social Welfare and Development is strengthening the skills and professionalism of social workers through the newly renovated and fully-functioning DSWD Academy, which now offers comprehensive competency-based learning courses.
The DSWD Academy, first opened in 1975 under the sponsorship of then First Lady Imelda Marcos, currently offers 72 programs which include 15 introductory courses, eight specialized courses, and a ladderized program designed for employed social workers who do not have a formal degree in social work.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian initiated the renovation of the DSWD Academy to make it a premier school for social workers in the Southeast Asian Region.
Assistant Secretary Janet Armas of the DSWD’s Regulatory Services and Institutional Development Group (RSIDG) said enhancing social workers’ competencies significantly contributes to sustaining and improving the government’s relief and social protection efforts.
“If we do not provide capacity building to our frontline workers, the quality of the social services we provide can also suffer. The DSWD Academy, it will lead to the transformation, and turning compassion into professional excellence,” Armas said.
Armas said the Academy welcomes not only graduates of social work programs and public-sector social workers, but also DSWD personnel, local government unit (LGU) employees, private-sector social workers, and aspiring social workers.
The DSWD Academy’s curriculum include Introductory Courses such as Change Management and Gender-Responsive Programming which are open to all. Specialized courses such as Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL) Case Management and Paralegal Services cater to experienced social workers seeking to upgrade their technical skills.
