ANZSWWER Research Achievement Award. Achievement In Research about Collaborations between Communities and Education Providers in Work-Integrated Learning

Achievement in Research about Collaborations between Communities and Education Providers in Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in Community Services, Human Services or Social Work in VET, HE or ACE is awarded to Dr Erica Russ, Dr Louise Whitaker, Robyn Fitzroy, Dr Carmel Halton, Joanne Rose, Dr Scott Gartshore, Dr Louise Morley, Peter Hawkins, Pearl Doyle, Dr Nicole Ivory, Emma Pascoe, Kim Doyle and Dr Monica Short, for their research with an international and inter-university team from Australia and Ireland (UNE, SCU, CSU, USyd, University College Cork). This team had been discussing challenges for identifying field education placements both in general scarcity of placements and during the COVID-19 lock-down periods. The initiative used an empowerment framework, mentoring social work students to lead their own social work research using a cooperative inquiry methodology while fully supported by the academic staff. Seventeen social work students were involved in Australia and Ireland. This extended the leadership, professional, research and collaboration skills of the participating students.