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Undervalued and overworked: The Plight of Guyana’s Social Workers
Dear Editor,
Even with the promise of “free university,” the reality is that pursuing a degree in Social Work at the University of Guyana is anything but free. Social work students face enormous expenses particularly during practicums, where we are forced to pool money for transportation, projects, and resources. These costs come directly out of our pockets. Add to that the mental fatigue of constantly jumping through bureaucratic hoops just to graduate, and the burden is heavy long before we even enter the workforce.
And what happens when we do graduate? We are not hired. Despite submitting numerous applications to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and other relevant agencies, qualified graduates with solid CVs and relevant experience never get called back. Ironically, these same institutions remain desperately understaffed. Employment in the field has turned into a matter of “who you know,” rather than professional merit.
To make matters worse, social work in Guyana still remains unlicensed. We’ve heard promises for years about a licensing body, yet nothing has materialized. Meanwhile, welfare officers and probation officers earn $149,000 per month the same salary that a student fresh out of CXC can earn without a degree. How can it be justified that a profession demanding years of study, sacrifice, and specialized skill is treated with such disregard?
The truth is that social workers are, in many ways, the doctors of mental health and social systems. One misstep in diagnosis or intervention can alter the course of a client’s life. Yet we are not given the respect, pay, or recognition to reflect that reality. Instead, we are undervalued and dismissed.
The despair is real. Many social work graduates are now looking to other fields, questioning why they invested in a degree that has left them jobless and disheartened. At this rate, it is difficult to recommend that anyone study social work in Guyana, because the profession feels like it is being trampled upon. I urge the authorities, policymakers, and leaders in Guyana to wake up to the reality. Social workers are not a luxury. We are a necessity. Without meaningful change through licensing, fair pay, and transparent hiring practices Guyana risks losing an entire generation of professionals who are trained to heal, to intervene, and to advocate.
Sincerely,
Social Work Hopeful
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