Health Workforce Scholarship Program

The Health Workforce Scholarship Program (HWSP) offers scholarships and bursaries of up to $10,000 per applicant, supporting remote and rural health professionals in Australia to enhance their skills, capacity, and scope of practice. Administered in Queensland by Health Workforce Queensland, this initiative is funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care.

In 2023-2024, the HWSP has supported 879 medical, nursing, midwifery, dental, allied health, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, all delivering primary health care services in remote and rural Queensland private practices and ACCHSs.

The HWSP continues to be an essential resource for remote and rural health professionals, contributing not only to their personal and professional growth but also improving care for community members. Over half of the funded applicants reported that they would have been unable or unlikely to pursue their upskilling course or activity without HWSP funding.

Crystel Proggioli, an Occupational Therapist and Director from the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland, shared her experience as a HWSP recipient. She stated, "The HWSP has been an immense benefit not just to me but to our whole team. It has allowed us to recruit and retain highly skilled practitioners who can access professional development funding through the program during work hours. Personally, it’s enabled me to develop and build my skills in specialist areas. One of the courses I have been supported to do was Sandplay and Symbol Work Certification. This has meant that we now have a therapy room dedicated to this style of work, and it means I feel more equipped to provide mental health services for our caseload.” Before accessing HWSP funding, Crystel stated, she often relied on free opportunities for professional development, limiting her ability to gain specialist knowledge critical for delivering high-quality regional services.

Of the 879 professionals supported this year, survey results indicated that upskilling led to increased knowledge, confidence, community benefits, and improved patient care. Dr. Ramthej Yandra, a General Practitioner in Home Hill, also benefited from the program. “The HWSP has allowed me to pursue advanced skin cancer courses, reducing the financial burden and enabling me to provide more comprehensive care. I can now confidentially diagnose and perform advanced skin cancer procedures in the clinic, the need for patients to travel far and wait for months in need for appointment/management with specialist has reduced. Therefore, the patients are getting faster treatments and with their regular GP who they are comfortable with.”

Health Workforce Queensland looks forward to continuing the delivery of this valuable program. For more information or to learn when our next round of applications opens, visit our website.