Students studying the BA in Applied Social Studies who are getting ready to travel abroad for work placements, experienced a real sense of what it is like to work in Vietnam during a live ‘Webinar’ with a professional who is currently working there.
The ‘webinar’ was the first of its kind hosted by the Department of Business and Humanities and involved a virtual seminar live from Vietnam with Trish Kane, a former lecturer in Social Studies and Early Childhood and Care and Education at IT Sligo.
The webinar was organized for students on the Development Education module on the BA Applied Social Studies course, who are currently preparing to go on international social care work placements in Vietnam, Republic of South Africa, Ethiopia, Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Canada.
Trish, who is from Gurteen in Co. Sligo, spoke to the class about her experiences of working in Vietnam. She has spent the last year as a Social Work Advisor at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ha Noi, Vietnam. She explained that urbanisation, homelessness, mental health, and poverty are some of the challenges facing Vietnamese society today, and she discussed the main aspects of Vietnam’s 10 Year Social Work Plan, which was introduced this year.
She also shared some cultural ‘tips’ for the students who are planning to undertake their placements in Vietnam.
Lecturer in Development Education, Mary Clarke, said the students found the webinar to be enormously beneficial; “The students were delighted with the opportunity to ask questions about Trish’s experiences in Ha Noi. The students who are due to travel to Vietnam for their placements at the Christina Noble Foundation in Ho Chi Min City, Caroline and Veronica, found it particularly helpful and informative.”
This is the first of a series of webinars are being planned by the IT Sligo International Development Education and Social Care Network as part of the Development Education module in association with Irish Aid.
The webinar was organised by Mary Clarke, Lecturer in Development Education and Margaret Gilmore, Coordinator of Social Care Placements. Technical assistance and support was provided by Brian Mulligan, Open Learning Coordinator and Mairead Noone, e-Learning Instructional Designer at ITS.
In previous years students studying have been placed in international placements in Alaska, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, England, Germany, France and Belgium.
Pictured following the webinar are, from left to right, Lecturer Mary Clarke, Natasha Reynolds, Sarah Reville, Megan Scahill, Caroline Moran, Veronica Kelly, Alice Scott, Olga Nesterenko, Kiera Wasson and Breda Ryan.
Trish Kane on her way to work in Vietnam. Trish is a former lecturer in Social Studies and Early Childhood and Care and Education at IT Sligo and has spent the last year working as a Social Work Advisor at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ha Noi, Vietnam.