The establishment of a system for the vocationalization and professionalization of social workers in mainland China

摘要

After years of effort, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Personnel, in July 2006, published the Provisional Regulations on the Assessment of the Vocational Standards of Social Workers (Provisional Regulations) and the Measures for the Implementation of the Examination Regarding Professional Qualifications of Social Workers (Measures for Examination), with a view to establishing at the national level a professional system in regard to social workers. These regulations and measures also aim to absorb social workers into the scope of professional practice by carrying out assessments on their professional standards and vocational qualifications. The publication of the Provisional Regulations and the Measures of Examination is hugely significant in terms of the professionalization as well as the vocationalization of social work in mainland China. This paper seeks to introduce the key contents of the two documents.