Q: What is the role of the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) in the Regional Training Academy Coordination Project?

A: CalSWEC initiated the Regional Training Academy Coordination Project in 1997 through a contract with the California Department of Social Services. CalSWEC was created in 1990 to assure effective, culturally competent service delivery and leadership to alleviate negative human conditions, such as racism and poverty, for the people of California, by:

• Promoting the preparation of social workers for employment in public child welfare systems;
  
  
• Upgrading the professional background of some already-employed public welfare workers interested in gaining additional skills in child welfare;
  
  
• Increasing the numbers of ethnic minorities in professional social welfare positions to reflect the populations served; and
  
  
• Opening the doors to innovation by integrating university research with county services and graduate social work curriculum development.

The Regional Training Academy Coordination Project focuses on the development of the public social services workforce by (1) facilitating collaboration between the regional training academies and (2) providing technical assistance to improve outcomes for public social services employees.

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