Search

The article is devoted to the issues of comparative analysis of foreign practice of training specialists in the field of social work. The leading countries of the world, namely: the countries of Western Europe, the United States of America, Australia are chosen as subjects. Attention is focused on the importance of research of foreign experience in order to develop the best domestic practice of training specialists in social work at higher education institutions of our country. It has been found that the history of the profession “social worker” in the developed world is more than a century long. The nature of the appearance of the first practical aspects of European training of specialists in social work in charitable agencies is determined. The chronology of the transformation of these agencies into modern educational institutions for the professional training of social workers with the subsequent emergence of university social education is represented. The results of the study by the International Association of Social Workers in 1950, which determined the quality of education of social workers around the world, are presented. There are three main models of social education, typical of foreign countries at the turn of the 50s of the twentieth century, namely: basic education, higher education and independent education. The characteristic of the formed models is given. The common and distinctive features of modern professional training of specialists in social work in the developed countries of the world are determined. The main approaches to the acquisition of educational specialization by social work specialists in different countries of the world have been formed, namely: branch, methodical and complex ones. The peculiarities of these approaches are described. Emphasis is placed on the expediency of training specialists in social work from the standpoint of universality of their future professional activity. They must maintain their universality and interchangeability in all areas within the acquired profession, and when changing the field of activity – not to lose their competence. It is determined that the training of social workers should include among the main educational professional competencies the competencies related to the formation of mobile and adaptive qualities that allow the specialist to easily adapt to different areas of social work, transferring their skills to a new field. The institutional support of training of specialists in social work in the developed countries of the world is investigated. It was found that some specialists receive social education within specialized vocational schools, and others – within the university education. The peculiarities of individual countries in the construction of the institutional system of training of specialists in social work are determined. The main features of institutional training of social work specialists in some European countries are described. The importance of unity and optimality of combination of theoretical and practical training of social work specialists is emphasized. The main directions of improving the training of specialists in social work have been formed, which can be applied in the domestic practice of training relevant specialists.