Social work covers various sectors including education, hygiene, social welfare, social-relief and community services. As a result of rapid economic development, there is growing demand for highly qualified social workers with various kinds of skills.

The Shanghai Personnel Bureau and Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau recently issued a regulation on social worker qualifications, which will take effect on June 1, aiming to improve the quality of social workers.

The regulation creates two categories of qualified social workers -- assistant social workers and social workers.

Local residents with at least a high school education and six years of related working experience, or those with at least associate degrees (including graduating university students), can sign up for the assistant social worker qualification test.

Local residents with associate degrees and six years of related working experience, those with bachelor's degree and four years of related working experience, those with master's degree and two years of related working experience, or those with PhD degrees who work in related industries can sign up for the social worker qualification test.

Candidates who pass one of the tests will be qualified to work in the sector.

Testing will be held once a year, and the general outline of the test will be made public soon.

In foreign countries, there are six social workers for every 1,000 residents, while the proportion is barely above zero in Shanghai.

(eastday.com April 2, 2003)