Work integrated learning in social work and human services: an assessment of financial stress associated with student placements

The study sought to understand and analyse the financial impact of work-integrated learning, commonly referred to as 'placement', on social work and human services students across several sampled universities in Southeast Queensland and to identify strategies for alleviating this stress. Placements constitute a substantial time commitment on students typically involving the required minimum of 1000 hours for social work students and 550 hours for human service students. The study undertaken during 2014 included an online survey of social work and human service students, and face-to-face and phone interviews with students, welfare and support staff and Field Education Unit Managers and Heads of Discipline, as well as two focus groups with students. The qualitative study was undertaken with the participation of most social work programs in south-east Qld, while the online survey also included students from Central Queensland University and James Cook University.

Combining paid work and study is the norm for social work and human service students, as it is for most students enrolled in tertiary study across Australia. This also holds true for students undertaking social work and human service placements. About four in five students surveyed for the present study had been in paid employment or self-employed at some time over the last 12 months, most of them on a casual basis. One third of those in paid employment worked between 20 and 39 hours per week during study periods, and 4 per cent worked 40 hours or more. Despite the predominance of paid employment the vast majority of students found it difficult to make ends meet. Overall, two thirds of students had frequently incurred deficits in their personal budget, had to make painstaking budgeting choices, and/or had to prioritise expenses (e.g. books versus food). Almost half of respondents had often incurred debt and over one third had to work longer hours in paid employment and/or seek gifts and support from family and friends to survive.

Two thirds of participants felt both tired and anxious trying to balance paid work and placement, and two in five reported having to compromise their learning experience whilst on placement due to having to work for a wage. However, only a handful of students had sought assistance from student welfare services, charities or emergency relief agencies. This problem is one that is largely hidden. The qualitative findings revealed that students were reluctant to seek help while on placement for a variety of reasons, but principle among these was a fear that disclosing financial and mental stress might blur the lines between helper and helped and that disclosure could even jeopardise passing the placement. There was a stigma attached to seeking help. The qualitative findings also identified multiple pressure points including financial, social, emotional and overall workload intersecting during placements. Not surprisingly, students spoke of the impacts of these pressures on their health, their friends and families, their financial security, and particularly their learning. Whilst the pressure experienced by students varied from minimal to extreme and the particular points of pressure varied from a single point to multiple and compounding points of pressure, the broad consensus reflects a phenomena that was both widely and deeply felt.

About two thirds of respondents had to increase their expenses due to additional travel, clothing and other field placement-related needs. One in five students were forced to change their course progression because of the impact of field placement. Financial and mental stress cannot be ignored as it impacts either on how well students engage with placement, how well they manage academic requirements and how well they continue to connect with university. Students are faced with a situation where they are compromising learning for earning and vice versa. Some students in their final year indicated during the focus group discussion that they were approaching graduation at the point of physical and mental exhaustion, if not burn out. Many of the field education staff and students identified certain cohorts at greater risk, such as low [socio-economic status] SES students, international students, mature age students, students with a disability or high support needs, single parents and domestic students where English is a second language and that some of these issues are more acutely felt in the Master of Social Work (qualifying program) because students have little time to prepare and plan for the placement. Student support staff were also keen to emphasise that there are individual differences in terms of resilience to these stressors. It can depend on what informal supports are in place, which can make the impact less intense. Students, universities and placement agencies had all found some short-term solutions to lessen the impacts discussed in the report. Identifying and implementing longer term structural solutions is where more work is urgently needed.

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