Social Work and Internet: 'Retrospective'

Information Technology and Internet

 A Tool for Social Work Students and Professionals

Preamble

Development for people, community or individuals through welfare and participation is always supports national interest yet demanding qualified and skilled social work professionals to achieve the goals. This demand of skilled social work professionals can complete by social work education institution. There is good potential for students who are planning their Masters in social work education, numerous course concepts are provided to students to choose from MSW, MLW, MHRM, IRPM, PGDLL, PGDHRM, LLB, BSW etc., but their motive is to prepare a team of skilled Social Work, Human Resource Management Professionals. In this regard, students of social work education actually learns history of social work interventions, past and present social work practices, Labour Laws, Social Research, Field Placements, Introduction to Human Resource Management and develops their knowledge and ability to deliver they proficiencies in the field.

Depending upon the learning during social work education and placement conducted by student decides their choice of field in social work interventions. When we talk about prior education of social work we must seek their abilities to deliver their skills in best of their career development as this sphere there is something lacking which is been required to be filled up with an interactive session on Information and Knowledge : WHENEVER, WHEREVER  and WHATEVER requires by just one click.

A query on Half – Way:

I would like to ask few questions to institute, when student is appeared for final examination and got results it’s the HALF-Way, student reached before getting employment in social work, HR field. WHY?

1.       Does social work student’s competencies fits what current social work, HR practices requires?

2.       Does institute conducted any survey to measure current social work, HR practices and try to amend their curriculum accordingly to deliver the best education to social work students?

3.       Do ever students interact with the concept of information technology and its importance in social work practices, Human Resource Management and Labour Liaison?

4.       Do institute ever measure student’s competencies apart from curriculum provisions, that skills and knowledge fits to present scenario?      

5.       How Information superhighway can help social work, human resource management students to help themselves and understand present employment trends in NGOs and Industries?

For all these questions there is a little help we can do by the Information Technology and Internet ‘TOOL’ for social work professionals.

How does it help?

Apart from library literature and resources, following are some of the subjects in which information technology can help students and social work, HR professionals especially beginners to update their knowledge and make their skills enhanced.

(For Students and Beginners)

ü  History of social work and present scenario of social work.

ü  Information and literature on project, dissertation thesis.

ü  Social survey and case study resources.

ü  Online project reports, articles, thesis, web definitions and thesauruses.

ü  Current practices of social work and human resource profession.

ü  Labour Laws, Cases, Practices, Notification and Amendments, Provisions

ü  NGOs Registration and Management  (Trust, Society, Section 25(c) Company)

ü  Administrative requirements, Income Tax provisions, exemptions, applicability for NGO management.

ü  Online Government resources regarding welfare schemes, forms, format, proceedings.

ü  Right to Information Act, How to ask?, reaches, Public Grievance Reprisal Mechanism

ü  Creating Web-page, Blog, Podcast, Social networking community, discussion and online poll on social work and human resource subjective.

ü  Getting help on your queries, issues and required information through online feedback and suggestions forums.

ü  Social marketing of your organization, individual professionals and voluntary activities.

ü  Social networking through social work, HR online networks.

(For Job Seekers: Grooming you through Internet.)

-          Profile making on online job portals,

-          Job searching and applying

-          Communicating and negotiating with HR consultants

-          Social Work Jobs, searching, sourcing, applying

-          Making professional CV and cover letter (5 important aspects)

-          Briefing you for interview, GD, Written Test through Internet.

Deliverables:

Information Technology and Internet ‘A Tool for Social Work Students and Professionals’ PROGRAM designed and conceptualized by the experiences and challenges me and my colleagues have faced as a beginner in the field of social work, human resource and labour welfare. Information Technology and internet helps students to develop career plan and cope the current challenges by the effective use of internet in personal enrichment to get much faster and competitive employment and also sustain it.

Learning through Field, Industrial Placements and in classroom, it is equally necessary for student to educate and update their selves from virtual information and databases.

Program Details:

Short Program Title: IT and Social Work ‘Retrospective’

Duration: 04 days (with 3 Hrs sessions each) depends upon the requirements of institutes.

Coverage: Students of MSW, BSW, MHRD, LLB, PGDHRM, PGDLL, MLW etc., (all semester students, especially final semester students working on dissertation, research and thesis)

Pre-requisites:

-          LCD projector

-          Computer with Moderate Speed Internet Connectivity (can be availed on chargeable basis by facilitator)

Facilitator’s Profile:

I am Amul Joshi, working as project officer, CSR representative of India’s leading cable and wires manufacturing conglomerate having decent experience in the field of social work and labour welfare projects, completed my MSW from SSCCM, Bhavnagar University in 2008 followed by PGDHRM. Willing to contribute best of my knowledge and experience with the juniors and beginners who want to built their career in social work, labour welfare and human resource professions.

Contact Information:

Email: joshi.amul@gmail.com

Gmail chat: Amul Joshi

On Blog: http://socialiaison.blogspot.com &   http://gujaratishrujan.blogspot.com

“It is not a class room teaching program, it’s a program to demonstrate and practically involve students to understand effective use of Information Technology available from Internet”

My Local Bus Trip!!

It was a rush hour, on sunday 24th of this month. Beep-beep of loud horns and humidity, soaks people tiresome. Being at Bus stop in Vadodara central for many is a daily job. I came to vadodara for exam on sunday and returning back to Halol, Panchmahal. I choose the bus whose last destination was Dahod. 

In rushing and pulling each other to get in the bus, by loosing no time i jumped in the bus in search of a seat. I got one thank god. Previously travelling through private bus service with ease and comfortableness. This bus was overcrowded and full of noise, people gossips. Now as I am sitting for almost 20 minutes waiting the driver should drive away the but towards Halol. and then I was indulged with the talks of people, as i have to spent the times before get bore alone. I started observing peoples and looking around in the bus and movements of traffic on road. Trying glance on the driver or conductor. Once i seeing only a driver or conductor but not to both, so I confused more that how long this will take me to return home. 
Many thoughts brambling my mind to start something to settle in the field of social work. I read some big hoardings of Narendra Modi, CM, Gujarat. on the road as well as advertisements on the buses. Marketing e-gram vishwagram, developing rural Gujarat, government initiatives etc., Previously I had read articles and reports on VBKY, D-sag. van bandhu kalyan yojna especially for Panchmahal and Dahod Districts. considered as backward districts government is doing this and that bla bla bla....

while all this things roaming in my mind!! I suddenly heard a weeping voice of a child. I was searching around that who is crying constantly from 10 minutes by moving my head here and there. but no one on the seats having crying baby. Then I look down to one man holding her girl child in his arms. and one boy child lying on the man's foot down the seat. I just shocked, the boy child constantly crying, laid down under the seat just as luggage. The child cant even weep properly, he was ill with flu and cough, he cant even breathe properly and I was his heartbeat much faster than I through the movement of his chest. Working as social work professional, I just cant see what I was looking at the child was in danger. Then I glance to his father he seems to be poor, wears old clothes and look like he was working as labour in construction occupation. When I looked around him I do not found any food bag, water to drink or medicine which can relieve the child to stop at least crying or go sleep.  The child's age was around merely 10 months, Looks pale, malnutrition and hungry. Then the bus suddenly started and ticket collect come to us. My focus is diverted from the child towards the ticket collector and I paid for tickets. and I wonder who is running the bus meanwhile, I found no one is running the bus because the driver and conductor were the same. One man army, many argued with the conductor why dont this bus has the driver and he angrily said if you want to say this go to the bus depot manager dont argue with me and wasting time. Another 20 minutes ware spent behind collecting tickets and then the conductor become driver and started the bus.

In noise environment all were trying to set were they have got some space in the bus to rest to cut the journey to next 35 km at Halol and 128 Km to reach Dahod. In this noisy, crowded environment I feel uncomfortable and indulged my mind in thinking where is the SWARNIM GUJARAT development seen in this trip. Do we really have any change in the scenario as was displayed in large holdings of development, development, development. I found my self lucky enough that my family treated me well and my up-bringing was good, educated and preserved instead what I looked in this bus. I feel so ashamed of myself that why I just stand-up take the child in my hand, clean his nose, take him to nearest hospital, consult Dr. advise to give some relaxing medicines. why I could not bought some food to him and pray the god for his good health. Yes, I have all these question in my mind BECAUSE. 
I send Rs. 25 for 500 ml cold drinks. 
Rs. 500 on phone bills
Rs. 700 on petrol many visits are unintentional just for fun...
Rs. 2000 behind shopping, clothes, cinema and food. 
Rs. 500 behind internet and 500 behind snacks of burger and pizza shops (even if i know that these are the junk foods)


And comparing to this if I care to that child against my monthly earning of 10,000. If wont make me any financial trouble. If all other who are earning more than me a month do something for the needy like that child in the bus. I THINK THAT WILL BE THE REAL SOCIAL WORK AND SHINING EFFORTS TO MAKE THIS STATE SWARNIM.


Still a big question mark on this.....?????????????????????

Astu..........