Abstract:
This chapter explores the preparedness of transnational social workers, and their employers in Australia, for the challenges of integrating foreign-qualified social workers into local practice settings. Drawing on an Australian exploratory online survey of 119 transnational social workers, the experiences of foreign-qualified social work professionals are analysed to assess the preparedness of the profession, and the professionals themselves, to deal with the challenges of transnational labour market mobility. The chapter uses the transnational professional space concept to examine migrant professionals’ advance knowledge of the professional and cultural milieu of their destination country, and their experiences of the induction and training offered by their initial Australian employers. The study suggests that a surprising naïvety persists among many employers and the transnational social workers (TSWs) themselves, regarding the preparation required to engage meaningfully in the increasingly transnational professional space that is Australian social work.
