From cattle station hands to mechanics to childcare workers, a dedicated program is helping people with spinal cord injury return to the workforce.
Thanks to the generous support of the Motor Accident Insurance Commission, Spinal Life Australia’s Back2Work program recently achieved its 500th referral, helping newly injured patients in hospital to return to work or study.
The program is looking to expand to more hospitals in regional areas, where early vocational rehabilitation programs remain underfunded despite proven success.
With just 21% to 31% of Australians who have a spinal cord injury in paid employment—compared to 65% of the general population—Australia is grappling with a stark workforce participation crisis among people with disability. This employment gap not only reflects missed opportunities for individuals to reclaim meaningful, independent lives but also costs the national economy an estimated $21.7 billion in lost productivity over the lifetime of affected individuals3.
Since 2016, Spinal Life Australia’s Back2Work program has been at the forefront of tackling this challenge. Initially launched as a three-year pilot at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital, this early intervention vocational rehabilitation initiative has just reached a significant milestone—its 500th referral. The program provides newly injured individuals with spinal cord damage the opportunity to explore work or study options through tailored, one-on-one support, beginning during hospital rehabilitation and continuing after they return home. The service is voluntary, free of charge to participants, and grounded in the belief that employment can be a critical part of recovery.
The program has been proudly supported by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) since its inception, which allows it to be delivered at no cost within the Princess Alexandra Hospital. MAIC is the regulator of Queensland’s Compulsory Third Party insurance scheme which provides people injured in road crashes through no fault of their own with access to compensation and services to maximise their recoveries.
There are Back2work centers in Queensland and there is a branch in WA.
“At MAIC, with road trauma remaining a leading cause of spinal cord injury we’ve seen firsthand how critical employment is to our claimants’ recovery after a life-changing injury,” says MAIC’s Insurance Commissioner Neil Singleton. “Programs like Back2Work are transformational, not just for individuals but also for their families, communities and the broader economy. We are incredibly proud to have supported this program from the beginning and congratulate Spinal Life on reaching this significant milestone.”
For more information visit https://www.spinal.com.au/back2work
Ph: 1300 774 625
