(VNE) Social work is a lot of work, monthly salary can be 8-30 million VND

Currently, there are more than 70 schools nationwide that train in Social Work, mainly with combinations of foreign language subjects, such as D01 (Math, Literature, English), D66 (Literature, Civic Education, English), D14 (Literature, History, English), D15 (Literature, Geography, English).
Some schools such as the University of Public Health also have the B00 (Math, Chemistry, Biology) and C00 (Literature, History, Geography) combination.
Associate Professor Dr. Pham Tien Nam, senior lecturer, Head of the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences of the school, commented that the demand for human resources in this industry is increasing strongly in many fields such as health, education, social protection and community development.
Particularly in the health system, according to Circular 03/2023 of the Ministry of Health, the position of social work is one of the groups of professional titles, accounting for 1-3% of the total number of employees at public medical examination and treatment facilities.
By the end of last year, the country had nearly 10,000 people working as social workers in the health sector, but only about 10% were properly trained and met professional standards.
"The figures show a huge gap in qualified human resources, a challenge but also a great career opportunity for students studying this major," said Mr. Nam.

According to Dr. Dang Kim Khanh Ly, Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, many parents and students think that studying Social Work will only lead to volunteer work, charity work and low salary. However, this concept is incorrect and incomplete.
"This is a common thought that comes from an incomplete understanding of the Social Work profession because they often see through the media images of people doing unpaid charity work, or voluntary community service activities. However, the Social Work profession is a professional profession, with formal training, a stable job system and income, even very good if highly specialized. It is a profession recognized by Vietnamese law as an official profession from Decision No. 32/2010/QD-TTg on the development of the social work profession," said Ms. Ly.
Therefore, it should be realized that studying social work is not just "doing charity", but a formal, specialized, humane profession, with its own skills and income commensurate with ability. Students of this major not only help others but also build a solid career for themselves - in the public, private and international sectors.
Mr. Nam also said that according to the new regulations, social workers will be granted a Certificate of Registration to Practice, which is an important step in establishing input and output standards for human resources.
What do social work students study?
The Social Work training program at schools is about 127-132 credits in 4 years of study. In addition to basic knowledge of the industry, depending on strengths and goals, the program at each school has its own points.
At the School of Public Health, students are trained to become professional social workers, capable of supporting, intervening and connecting services for disadvantaged groups, contributing to promoting justice, equality and social development.
The school claims to be the first to offer a Bachelor of Social Work program with a medical orientation. Students gain basic knowledge in medicine, sociology, psychology, and specialized intervention methods in social work.
"Management and communication courses are also flexibly integrated into the program," said Mr. Nam.
Throughout the course, students are trained in practical skills through real-life situations, especially with patients and their families.
At the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Social Work major achieved AUN-QA, the quality accreditation standard for Southeast Asian universities.
In addition to studying specialized subjects, students also have access to interdisciplinary analytical thinking such as Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Philosophy... According to Ms. Ly, the program focuses on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship.
"This is a new factor, a trend of the times. Learners are trained in technological skills in data analysis, understanding of innovation and having an entrepreneurial spirit," said Ms. Ly. The female lecturer believes that this helps learners adapt better to the labor market.
In addition, schools focus on training soft skills for students such as practicing intervention, criticism, communication, planning, communication, listening, teamwork, information analysis and processing, research, report writing...

What do you do after graduating from Social Work and how much is your salary?
According to the schools, Social Work graduates can take on the following jobs:
- Social workers in hospitals, social welfare centers, prisons...
- Staff at the Ministry of Health, Department of Health, Center for Disease Control (CDC), Center for Preventive Medicine.
- Project officer, community development specialist, consultant... at enterprises and international organizations.
- Recruitment specialist, human resource manager, school counselor, skill development consultant, inspirational MC...
According to Ms. Ly, employers need people with solid expertise, critical thinking, effective flexible decision making, and good communication and organizational skills. In addition, those with planning and work management skills, understanding of technology, and the ability to work in a multicultural and foreign language environment will have an advantage.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Tien Nam, the starting salary for graduates of this major at the University of Public Health is about 8-10 million VND per month. At the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, according to Dr. Dang Kim Khanh Ly, with the job position of Recruitment Specialist, Human Resources Manager, School Counselor, Skill Development Consultant, Inspirational MC..., the salary can be from 8-20 million VND/month, up to 30 million VND/month depending on the workplace.