During the past decade Northern Ireland, like other parts of the United Kingdom, experienced a fall in the numbers of students applying to social work programmes. In the same period employing agencies have had significant difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff, particularly in child and family care. It is anticipated that the introduction of the new BSW degree in Northern Ireland, alongside measures by employers to improve terms and conditions for staff, will help to alleviate recruitment and retention problems. There has, however, been little empirical research into the precise reasons for these problems or what effect qualifying social work education and training has on students' motivations and career aspirations. This paper reports on a three‐year study of MSW students at Queen's University, Belfast which examined the various factors affecting their motivation to pursue a career in social work. The study explores the impact on students of their experience of professional socialisation during training. The paper concludes with an analysis of the implications of the findings and highlights key factors which may help to inform the future design of qualifying programmes and address employers' concerns about recruitment and retention issues.
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