PERSONAL INJURY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations and concerns professional development. Can the minister say whether WorkCover offers any specific support for individuals serving those in the area of workers compensation to further develop their professional skills in personal injury management?

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for Gambling) (14:54): I thank the Hon. Mr Holloway for his question and for his work in the portfolio that he held. I am pleased to advise that, in late 2010, WorkCover SA launched its industry scholarship program. The annual scholarship program is an important initiative for the workers compensation sector in South Australia. The scholarship program is designed to encourage and support people already working in the South Australian workers compensation field to undertake postgraduate study. Successful recipients receive up to $15,000 per year to undertake their study. The scholarship program will help build the critical mass of professional expertise within the South Australian workers compensation sector.

Scholarships are awarded to individuals to undertake one of a number of Personal Injury Education Foundation postgraduate programs. These courses have been designed to enrich and enhance the range and depth of personal injury management skills and aim to lead to better outcomes for all accident compensation schemes and the communities and workers they are designed to serve. The Personal Injury Education Foundation was established in 2006 by a consortium of Australian and New Zealand accident compensation regulators, insurers and claims management providers and organisations.

They have a shared vision of creating leading educational programs, initiatives and events focused on the needs of those working in the accident compensation area to help them better do their job and meet the needs of injured workers. The WorkCover SA scholarship program is open to anyone working in a workers compensation-related role and employed by WorkCover SA, a South Australian claims agent, self-insurer, approved workplace rehabilitation provider and other entities created under the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1986.

The scholarship selection committee comprises representatives from employer and employee groups and is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of WorkCover. The committee awarded four scholarships for study commencing in 2011. I am advised that scholarship recipients in the 2011 round are: Anna Thomas, the manager of Provider Management Strategy and Projects with Employers' Mutual Limited; Charmaine Zwolak, Investigation and Administration Officer with the Office of the WorkCover Ombudsman; Helena Buchanan, a technical adviser, Self-Insured Return to Work Services with WorkCover SA; and Tracey Hayes, the manager of Injury Management Services with Southern Cross Care (South Australia and Northern Territory) Inc.

I believe the selection committee's task was particularly difficult as the quality of applicants was very high. I wish to extend my congratulations to the successful scholarship recipients and trust that their participation in this program will assist them in carrying out their important work in assisting those who have been injured at work and trying to ensure that workplace injuries are minimised.