抄録
This study reveals how professional development which supports children's issues in Taiwan is conducted in Taipei City. Japan is faced with the challenge of training and professional quality assurance. However, there is little Japanese research which explores solutions to this problem. This case study of Taiwan, therefore, examines a local government system of profession quality assurance, with the aim of providing insight into how to solve the problem in Japan.
A Counseling Center has been established in each local government in Taiwan, with responsibility for professional training and quality assurance. This institution is at the base point of a nationwide system of profession utilization. Previous research in Japan and Taiwan has not considered the current system of professional development based on the Counseling Center.
Therefore, this research clarifies the system of professional development in Taipei by focusing on Counseling Center functions. First, in order to reconsider the development of professional utilization policies, in respect to the significance of setting up Counseling Centers, prior research and policy documents regarding related laws are reviewed. Second, the role played by the Counseling Center in providing professional training and quality assurance is assessed. For this purpose, documents from the Taipei City Counseling Center for the organizational system and staffing are analyzed. Finally, in order to explore placement, job training, supervision, and cooperation with other organizations, transcripts of interviews with two school social workers are analyzed.
In conclusion, the establishment of Counseling Centers as part of the policy to develop professional utilization is significant in establishing a system of professional training and quality assurance. The role of the Taipei City Counseling Center is to provide training and quality assurance, in the incumbent perspective, and to provide job training and supervision, and facilitate cooperation with other organizations. Based on these findings, in order to establish a system of professional training and quality assurance in Japan, one effective solution is to implement job training, supervision, and cooperation with related organizations by establishing a specialized organization and arranging personnel close to the incumbent.
