April 10, 2023
PASSHE’S Plan to Address the Social Worker Shortage
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Harrisburg, PA – Pennsylvania will need 12% more social services providers, including social workers,
by 2030, and worker shortages could hinder people getting the support and care they
need.
Social services workers relieve suffering and improve the lives of children, seniors
and many other Pennsylvanians. There’s already a shortage of these workers, and communities
will need even more of them to support the state’s aging population and address the
impacts of the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, the rise in social isolation,
and the increase in mental health challenges for students.
Pennsylvania needs a stronger pipeline of social service workers from the classroom
to the workforce.
PASSHE SolutionPennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is seeking $112 million in
state funding so its universities can enroll and graduate more students in social
work and related fields, as well as five other in-demand, high-growth jobs. The other
fields are education, nursing, business and STEM jobs in computer science and engineering.
PASSHE’s plan would use $10 million for direct financial aid to social services students.
Each student would save an average of $1,500 per year. Pell-eligible (high-need) students
could receive about $5,000, for an average total of $6,500 per year.
Lowering the cost to get a degree would enable more people to begin their education
for jobs providing social services. Affordability is especially important for rural
and urban students. Increasing financial aid also lowers student debt, another incentive
to enter a career field that traditionally has a lower starting wage.
Additionally, PASSHE is requesting a 3.8% inflationary ($21 million) increase that,
in combination with the $112 million for student support, would enable the Board of
Governors to consider freezing the basic in-state undergraduate tuition rate for an
unprecedented fifth consecutive year.
The Power of PASSHE Universities
As Pennsylvania’s public university system, PASSHE universities are major educators
of social services workers. More than 3,000 social services students are attending
PASSHE universities, and more than 9,000 graduates are working in the commonwealth.
Across the System, amazing students are sharing their stories of preparing for careers helping others.
For more information about the State System’s plan to address labor shortages in the
six high-growth fields of education, nursing, computer science, engineering, social
services and business, or to see a budget request summary, visit the Advocacy Resource Center.