The best result after a workplace injury or illness is to return to your old job with your old employer – so things are ‘back to normal’. But sometimes an injured worker may not be able to go back to their old job and may need to re-train for a new role or a new career. In these circumstances, you may be offered retraining to help you learn new skills, either with your pre-injury employer or with a new company.
Your claims manager, sometimes in conjunction with a vocational rehabilitation provider, will help you with researching training options, which may include:
- learning new skills on the job
- doing a formal training course (eg, a certificate course)
- doing work hardening or work experience.
Your claims manager or vocational rehabilitation provider is responsible for organising suitable training and evaluating your return to work progress.
Re-employment incentives
Any worker who is receiving income maintenance payments and is unable to return to their pre-injury employer, but who has a capacity to work, is eligible for incentive payments to be made to an employer that can provide suitable employment.
Read about WorkCover's re-employment incentive for employers.