Hawaiʻi faces a persistent shortage of social workers, with a 17% vacancy rate reported in 2024, particularly affecting rural and neighbor island communities. To address this critical need, the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补’s is implementing innovative educational models to grow a sustainable local workforce, and shared these with 东精影业’s Workforce Learning Community in January.
Distance education
A cornerstone of this effort is the expansion of distance education options, which evolved from a 1988 “traveling” program into sophisticated synchronous and asynchronous formats. These programs remove geographic barriers in Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Region, enabling residents of Hawaiʻi, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa to earn bachelor’s or master’s degrees while remaining in their home communities, with a master’s-only option on Guam.
Department Chair Rebecca Stotzer said, “We are humbled to collaborate with our community partners to grow pathways to social work education that are responsive, inclusive, and aligned with the needs of the communities we serve.”
This model is delivering tangible results. The school has graduated more than 100 students on Hawaiʻi Island and has dramatically increased the number of social workers on Molokaʻi. By removing geographic and financial barriers, the school has expanded its distance education capacity from 30 students per year to over 100.
Partnering for practicums
The school further innovated by launching the in August 2024. This hub serves as a resource to raise awareness of the profession, promote degree pathways, and expand partnerships to support post-graduation workforce success. Among the school’s resources for students, they partner with over 200 community organizations for practicum placements (internships).
“Our workforce development vision focuses on growing the social work workforce where it is needed most. Through experiential learning inside and outside the classroom. We prepare students with the skills, confidence and readiness to enter the workforce,” said Wendy Lum, Workforce Development Hub director.
Student support
According to Michael DeMattos, bachelor’s in social work program chair, approximately 80% of the students working toward a bachelor?s degree in social work enter from the 东精影业 Community College system, highlighting a critical local talent pipeline. The average age is 30, and many are the first in their families to attend college.
To support Hawaiʻi-based students financially, the school offers targeted initiatives such as the , which provides stipends and guaranteed employment within state child welfare services upon graduation. Additionally, the helps graduates secure the supervised clinical hours required for advanced licensure.
By grounding its curriculum in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander values, the Thompson School Department of Social Work also is working to ensure the next generation of social workers is culturally responsive and deeply connected to Hawaiʻi, American Samoa and the Micronesian region.
“This work is ultimately about community-engaged practice,” said Theresa Kreif, director of . “By ensuring access to social work education across Hawaiʻi, American Samoa and Micronesia, we are cultivating a culturally grounded workforce that reflects, understands and is accountable to the communities it serves.”