Continuing education and changing needs

Abstract

occupational group in the population. POSTDEGREE PROGRAMS It is also the main product of that country's advanced economy. It supProfessions are increasingly forced to plies the essential and central rerecognize continuing education as a sources of production and has actually sibliiig of the explosion, become the foundation of the econand social work educators and practi omy. doners involved in the development It happens, of course, that this counof degree curricula are having to take try of is not the neverinto account the potential of continu never land of some educator's fantasy; ing education. They can no longer it is present day America. This afford to see the degree program as country spends more on education their last chance to prepare the profes than on all other nondefense commusional for all his future needs. Nor can nity services put together. Teachers of they be panicked by the futility of all kinds are already the largest single their attempts to be relevant. They occupational group in the American might, in fact, do better to think in labor force, and according to Drucker, terms of providing a level of prepara dle knowledge workers—those who tion that would adequately serve the give services as professional, managenew professional through only his first rial, and technical people—will, by few years of practice. 1980, constitute the majority of the Data gathered in 1972 from gradu labor force.1 ate schools of social work by the The skills of professionals are based Council on Social Work Education in on the specialized that they dicates that sixty-three schools, or use daily in finding creative solutions about 78 percent, have programs of to problems. Such professional knowlcontinuing education with some staff edge must necessarily be acquired time regularly assigned to them, through formal schooling and systemEleven more indicated that they were atic learning, but even in a sixor in the process of building continuing eight-year university program there is education programs, not enough time to equip modern proOf the twenty-seven schools that fessionals with all they will need to underwent major revisions of cur know during their careers, The maricula and reaccreditation between jority of them will return to programs 1969 and 1973, ten were prepared to of formal education again and again include continuing education as a sig as adult learners. nificant portion of their educational The abundance and variety of opactivities. Most others made some portunities open to professionals make move in that direction. Of the five it likely that at some point in their new schools accredited since 1969, careers the focus of their work will four included programs of continuing shift or even change dramatically, education. making it necessary for them to acAt the same time, the National As quire new or perhaps more specialized sociation of Social Workers is em knowledge. Even without such career phasizing the professional organiza changes, professionals are drawn back tion's responsibility for continuing into the schools by the need to update education by offering funding grants their knowledge. Some observers to encourage the development of lo claim that professional alcal and regional programs. There is ready has a half-life of only five years, also a recognition that much more can with the likelihood that it will soon be accomplished through the develop become even shorter.2 It is clear that ment of staff and funding resources under these circumstances the most and the establishment of cooperative