Embedding Aging Skills and Training into Community Social Work Practice

The objective of this paper is to explore the mapping of elderly care operation module (NOSS) developed by Department of Skills Development with gerontological social work course (SKPW 3043) on the care of the elderly in Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSK), UKM. Through this course students will attend classes and at the same time have hands-on experience in elderly care operations module at old folks home. By embedding elderly care skills this course will be an added value in restructuring gerontology course. This will help produce students with high social skill competencies, who are competitive in local and global job market. The paper concludes that mapping and restructuring the elderly care operation module (NOSS) in collaboration with Department of Skills Development (DSD) and the Social Welfare Department (SWD) has two-pronged approaches; to produce professional and skilled social workers for the care for the elderly and to help reduce the problem of unemployment among graduates. This initiative will produce more professionals who are competent in gerontological social work that will help fulfill the needs of the elderly care industry and job market.