ESCANABA & MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Two higher learning institutions are working together to fill vacancies in the field of social work throughout the Upper Peninsula.
“We’ve heard from our partners in the community that they really have a need for more people with this training and background to provide social services,” said Jessica Van Slooten, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Bay College.
Bay College and Northern Michigan University have created an academic pathway to help students meet the growing demand for social workers. Students start the process at Bay.
“Our Associate’s of Arts in Social Work is meant as a transfer degree, so they’re building their base of courses here at Bay, and then they have a seamless transfer pathway to Northern’s Bachelor of Social Work program,” Van Slooten said.
The pathway lays out which courses students need to take each step of the way.
“A lot of times, when a student transfers to another school, not all of the courses will transfer correctly and the pathway will not be as clear,” explained NMU Transfer Pathways & Partnerships Assistant Director Tanya Savage. “With this, there is no confusion, there is no guessing.”
Savage says the pathway’s flexibility allows every student to make a social work education work for them.
“The nice thing about this is that they can do it all online if they want to,” she said. “They can do their senior field placement actually within their communities.”
After obtaining their Bachelor’s of Social Work, students can pursue a master’s degree at NMU or choose from a broad range of career options.
“Various human services fields and professions, some mental health work, substance use disorder training, counseling,” Van Slooten said.
“You could be working in a hospital, you could be working in a prison, you could be working in a community outreach center,” said Savage. “Pretty much everywhere that you can think, social workers are needed.”
Bay and NMU believe the social work pathway will be an asset to employers, students, and each other.
“We really feel strongly about our partnership, that we’re better together,” said Van Slooten. “If we can help students live and work in the communities in which they are from, we can build up that base and support folks better.”
“We’re trying to eliminate barriers to education, especially in social work,” Savage added. “We’re really excited to work with Bay with this program, and we’re hoping to create even more programs.”
Those interested in obtaining a degree through Bay and NMU’s social work pathway can contact Bay College or Northern Michigan University today. Email Jillena Rose at Bay’s Transfer and Advising department at jillena.rose@baycollege.edu or Savage at tsavage@nmu.edu.
Click here to learn more about Bay College’s social work program. Click here for information on NMU’s social work program.
