RSWs

So today I learned a lot about being a registered social worker. So here's what I knew about it before today: A person with a social work diploma can only be registered in the province of Alberta, so jobs that require a registered social worker will probably look past someone who isn't registered. Which would be great if we were staying in Edmonton, but neither of us really want to =P

So this worried me sometimes, because I felt like going back to BC and not being registered would hinder me or limit the jobs that I can have. But here's what I learned today: In Alberta, it's not an option to register. Even with a diploma, you HAVE to register. That's not a big deal but this part is-- only people with "social work" diploma and degrees can/have to register. So this means my girlfriend who graduated with a human ecology degree and has a job in the social work field is not a registered social worker, and she can not call herself a social worker. Anyone who graduates from another local university with a child and youth worker degree, can not be registered and can't call themselves a social worker. And all these people go on to with in the social work field, but they are not "social workers." So in BC, I guess registration is not required. Most non profits and even government jobs don't care whether or not a person is registered. Now whether they can call themselves social workers or not, I'm not sure.

So basically what I learned today, is it's not a huge deal whether or not I am a registered social worker or not. The way they kept talking about it, it seemed like it might be hard to get a job without it. But after learning that so many people employed in the social work field don't have a registered title, I definitely felt better.