Regular Meeting of the Employers’ Council for Specialty I10 Social Work and Counseling

On April 15, a scheduled meeting of the Employers’ Council for Specialty I10 Social Work and Counseling was held. The event served as an important communication platform for constructive dialogue between representatives of the academic community and stakeholders from various regions of Ukraine.

Regular partners of the department joined the work of the Employers’ Council, including fellow educators, as well as heads of social institutions from the public and civil sectors of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Vinnytsia regions.

During the working meeting with stakeholders, the following agenda items were considered:

• Updating and approving the composition of the Employers’ Council for Specialty I10 Social Work and Counseling;
• Presentation of selected changes in the content of the educational and professional programs in Specialty I10 Social Work and Counseling;
• Discussion of the effectiveness of practical training programs for higher education students in Specialty I10 Social Work and Counseling, and identification of ways to improve them;
• Development of students’ leadership competencies and presentation of initiatives aimed at enhancing the activities of the Leadership School as a tool for fostering these competencies.

The changes in the structure and content of the educational and professional programs outlined by the department’s academic staff were positively evaluated by stakeholders, who emphasized their relevance, interdisciplinary orientation, practical focus, and adaptability to contemporary demands. Within the framework of the expert review of practical training programs for students, a number of recommendations were developed to improve them, particularly through expanding the range of professional situations and case studies approximating real conditions of professional activity, as well as integrating practices of interagency cooperation, crisis response, and clients’ socio-psychological reintegration.

Based on the discussion, ways to optimize the activities of the Leadership School were also identified as a tool for developing leadership potential, strategic thinking, communicative capacity, emotional intelligence, and adaptability of future professionals. Particular attention was focused on the expediency of strengthening digital visual communication and informational promotion of the department’s activities and educational programs among target audiences as a strategically important component of ensuring their competitiveness, increasing recognition, and strengthening positioning within the educational landscape.

Sincere gratitude to our stakeholder colleagues for their engagement, openness to cooperation, and willingness to share experience!

Based on materials provided by the
Department of Social Work and Inclusive Education