Pacific Islands Field Education (PIFE) 2016 Report

We have successfully completed 4 years (2013 - 2016) of facilitating the Pacific Islands Field Education (PIFE) initiative, striving to achieve the following three key components: 1. Provide international learning opportunities for Western Sydney University students 2. Enhance social work education; including teaching, learning and research resources through University of the South Pacific (USP) 3. Promote the development and identity of professional Social Work across Oceania region. Within this active partnership with University of the South Pacific, the project has provided scope to develop ongoing relationships with community based services, whilst bolstering the manner in which social work education is manifested through field education across both institutions. To date, 20 Western Sydney University Bachelor of Social Work students have successfully completed their final year social work placement in the Pacific, 15 in Fiji, 3 in Samoa and 2 in Tonga. We have now partnered with 7 agencies in the region, which includes family and health services in the Kingdom of Tonga.