Social work students worried about modest job chances                                    Social work is still quite new in Vietnam, therefore, many students in this department are worried about finding a job after the graduation.   A social work staff is working with street kids At a recent forum on social work orientation held by HCM City Open University, Trang, a student from the Social Work Department of the university, said, “I do not know which agency will hire me after graduation. Currently, it's too difficult for students of this major to find a job.” Speaking at the event, MA. Le Thi My Hien, head of the department, said this is a common anxiety among social work students, not only from HCM City Open University, but also other local universities. However, Le Chu Giang, an official from the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said students who choose a social activity major should not be worried because the recruitment demand for this area is very high and is expected to be higher in the near future. According to Mr. Giang, while the top priority is to ensure social security for people, HCM City, as well as many other localities, have been actively implementing the government’s social activity development project, thus, the need for this sector’s labour force is on the rise. At present,  HCM City’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, has 40 social protection units, while, non-state agencies have 60 units. Students with this major are advised to work as volunteers and practise at social organisations, which will help to give them more experiences for future jobs. MA. Le Thi My Hien said a survey by HCM City Open University on 98 students indicated that up to 57% of them had found jobs before graduation, most coming from agencies where they were on probation. Truong Cong Binh from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said it's very important for students to have passion and diligence to work in this field, because at the beginning, they often face hard work, and even dangerous work, but only receive a modest income. By Tùng Nguyên | dtinews.vn