Steps have been taken to employ social work graduates benefitting from the scholarship programme:
(a) Since the inception of the programme a total of 7 393 graduates have been absorbed into employment by Provincial Departments of Social Development; additional 94 graduates have been employed and placed at Departmental local service offices through the support of PACT (as part of the Government Capacity Building and Support Programme). A further 165 graduates are employed by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to support the administration and management of foster care grants.
A request has been submitted to National Treasury to utilise part of the 2016/17 allocation (R100m) for the absorption of 450 social work graduates.
(b) The Department is not aware of numbers of graduates employed by the private sector. However, the department is engaging with Non-Governmental Organisations to facilitate absorption of graduates in that sector.