OTA in the News - Paid Student Placements

OTA CEO, Samantha Hunter, recently spoke with News Corp to address the exclusion of occupational therapy students from the 2025/26 budget funding for paid student placements:

Not only do many students lose their source of income during this time, but some also have no employment to return to once their placements come to an end.

Students are often required to make themselves available on short notice to work full-time hours for many weeks for placement requirements. This approach is unsustainable for both the students and the host workplaces.

We are excited to share that News Corp's story on student placements has now been published, featuring an extract from OTA's official statement. The story is accessible through the following major outlets:

• News.com.au
• The Courier-Mail
• Adelaide Now
• Daily Telegraph
• Herald Sun
• Hobart Mercury
• NT News
• Townsville Bulletin
• Geelong Advertiser
• Cairns Post
• Gold Coast Bulletin

OTA will continue to advocate on this issue and is thrilled to see OTA part of national coverage of this important topic.

To learn more about the government's funding announcement and OTA's response statement to members, click here.