At present, students who have graduated with a degree in social work or a diploma in social service work could register with the College prior to their convocation if they have completed all the academic and practicum requirements of their program. These new graduates are registered with a term, condition and limitation on their certificate which is removed once the College received official confirmation from their school that they have convocated.
As of September 1, 2024, students who are graduating with a degree in social work or a diploma in social service work will no longer be able to register prior to their convocation.
Employers who offer practicum opportunities to students in the last semester of their program and wish to hire them under the titles of “social worker” or “social service worker,” will no longer be able to register with the College until they have convocated.
If you currently have practicum placements that may be affected by this change, and have questions as to how best to proceed, contact the College at info@ocswssw.org.
The decision to phase out this process ensures ongoing efficiencies across the organization and is part of our larger work around launching entry-to-practice exams as a registration requirement, which we anticipate will come into effect in 2027. Additionally, the elimination of this process for pre-convocation registration will improve overall application processing times.
The College remains open to opportunities to further collaborate with employers as important partners within our registrants’ journey to ethical and professional practice.
For questions or inquiries about the elimination of pre-convocation registration, contact the Registration and Renewals Department at info@ocswssw.org.