Enhancing Social Workers’ Capacity Building for Career and Life Development Services: A Quasi-Experimental Outcome Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a training program for social workers who provide services for promoting the career and life development (CLD) of non-engaged youth (NEY). Methods: A quasi-experimental design was utilized to compare the changes between the training ( n = 58) and the comparison groups ( n = 48). Focus groups and individual interviews with training participants ( n = 13) and guest speakers ( n = 2) were also conducted. Results: The training group showed greater improvement in all four aspects of capacity building—implementation, commitment, knowledge, and orientation—than the comparison group. The qualitative analysis generated four themes about how social workers benefited from the training program. Discussion: The findings provided evidence for the positive impact of the training program in building social workers’ capacity for facilitating NEY's CLD. As such, the Program offers a holistic framework of CLD-related theory and practice for social workers and evaluators.