There are several factors which affect the present position of social work as a profession. Historically, it is a relatively young profession. As such, there have been many changes as a state of stable professional identity is sought. Frmo what can be forecast, social work will continue to change, to borrow new knowledge from related professions, to develop new knowledge from within, to retain a dynamic and progressive view to self-improvement, and to work toward the general improvement of social conditions.
While many things have changed, the problem of adequate manpower has not appreciably improved. The number of graduate social workers is growing slowly, but the unmet need for graduate social workers continues to grow much more rapidly. With such a need for graduate social workers, the problem of fully qualified persons leaving or separating from full-time professional employment after a few years becomes a most crucial issue
