The Department of Social Works combines the training programmes of social work and social pedagogy in the Bachelor's degree programme "Social Work" at tertiary level, with a clear focus on teaching methodological and action skills. The focus on the area of child, youth and family welfare is unique, with a comprehensive range of personality-building measures and practice in the degree programme preparing students for their careers.
The Department of Social Works, which has been in existence since 2014, has been able to gain extensive experience in the course of a large number of divergent research projects - a balanced portfolio between public clients, third-party funding from funds and foundations, regional and international cooperation between universities and research institutes is visible.
One example of this is the 2016 study "Concept for the Implementation of School Social Work in Burgenland". Its goal was to test implementation models of school social work for their practical suitability in the field based on the structural requirements of the grown Burgenland school system and the target groups of school social work.
Another study concerned the "Evaluation of Child and Youth Services Graz" with regard to social space-oriented case-unspecific and cross-case work. Within the period from October 2015 to December 2016, observations, inspections and interviews were carried out and the data obtained were analysed with regard to the achievement of objectives and the effectiveness of the results.
In 2017, the "Evaluation of the Implementation Districts Bruck-Mürzzuschlag and Voitsberg" took place with regard to the conversion of child and youth welfare services to the system of flexible assistance under the specialised concept of "case management".
Recently, the studies "Needs Planning for the Disabled in Burgenland","Needs Planning for Care" and the "Senior Citizens' Survey on Care", in which more than 10,000 questionnaires were evaluated, were completed.
Currently, the department's team is working on two large study projects in the areas of NEETs (abbreviation for: Notin Education, Employmentor Training) in connection with compulsory education up to 18 and "Frauen(Ar)MUT - Gegen Frauenarmut im Burgenland - Berufs- und Lebensperspektiven für Frauen im Burgenland".
In an interdepartmental cooperation, the social scientists of the Department of Social Works together with economic and IT experts in the field of "Technology Assessment" are researching the social effects of social change through digitalisation.
The Department of Social Works also has experience in the conception and implementation of further education and training courses.
Since 2017, the "Course on Open, Extracurricular Child and Youth Work" has been held for people with relevant practical-professional experience in the field.
In 2018, after a pilot project, the continuation of the "further training course for the staff of the Office for Youth Family Graz" started. In addition, the innovative "further training course in dementia" for staff in the field of mobile care and support was started.
Through regular events and open lectures with speakers of national and international reputation (Emmerich Tálos, Silvia Staub-Bernasconi, Wolfgang Hinte, Christian Felber, etc.), the Department of Social Works opens the university to the general public and offers opportunities for knowledge transfer and discourse.
