Preparing social work students for gerontological social work practice in Australia: contributing to a sustainable aged care workforce

Australia’s aged care sector faces critical workforce shortages highlighting the need for a skilled, responsive, and sustainable workforce. Social workers have an important role to play within the aged care sector, beyond the traditional limits of direct practice in health settings. This paper explored how social work students are prepared to work with older adults. Informed by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the study included semi-structured interviews with five faculty members and seven social work students in a metropolitan university in Sydney, Australia. Data were thematically analyzed and four key themes identified: power dynamics in curriculum design and career uncertainty, educator positionality and pedagogical practices, the influence of the hidden curriculum through lived experiences, and the role of work-integrated learning. The findings revealed that preparedness is influenced by the educators’ positionality and influence on pedagogical practices, power dynamics in curriculum design, the centrality of the hidden curriculum, and availability of field education opportunities. The paper advocates for co-designed pedagogical approaches that integrate older adults’ lived experiences, as well as students, educator, and community experiences. It also recommends embedding gerontological content and field placements across social work programs to enhance student motivation, professional identity, and readiness to contribute to the aged care workforce.