POSITION STATEMENT ON REQUESTING THE INCLUSION OF PARAMEDICINE STUDENTS IN THE COMMONWEALTH PRAC PAYMENT SCHEME

The Australasian Council of Paramedicine Deans (ACPD), an independent peak body and advocate for the Australasian paramedicine higher education sector is dedicated to advancing the interests of the paramedicine profession through research and best practices in teaching and learning.

The recent release of the University Accord's final report, which addresses 'placement poverty' for students undertaking work-integrated learning through the introduction of the Commonwealth Prac Payment scheme, is a commendable step forward. However, ACPD wishes to highlight paramedicine students are not included in the initiative.

Paramedicine students complete unpaid clinical placements as part of their pre-employment education. This requirement often imposes severe financial hardships on these students, as they must take time away from paid employment to fulfil their educational obligations. Furthermore, students may need to undertake placements in regional and remote locations, resulting in significant travel and accommodation costs. Similar to other health professional students, this financial burden may adversely affect their ability to complete their studies and has broader implications for the future health workforce. However, it must be noted that paramedicine students often do not have access to placement bursaries and grants available to nursing, allied health, and medicine students.

The ACPD believes that including paramedicine students in the Commonwealth Prac Payment scheme is an important step toward mitigating the impact of placement poverty. Such inclusion would provide vital financial support, enabling these students to complete their mandatory course requirements and lessen the undue hardship. Furthermore, this support is crucial to maintaining a steady pipeline of well-prepared paramedics entering the healthcare system, which is essential for the sector's sustainability and effectiveness.

We urge policymakers to consider extending the Commonwealth Prac Payment scheme to include Paramedicine students.

Professor Scott Devenish

Chair, Australasian Council of Paramedicine Deans

This position statement was endorsed by the Australasian Council of Paramedicine Deans on 17 May 2024.