Inaugural HASANZ Scholarship Recipients Announced

The Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) has awarded 18 inaugural scholarships for tertiary education in workplace health and safety in 2019.

HASANZ Scholarships include funding to support full or part-time study for up to two years, plus practical experience and mentoring.

The HASANZ Scholarship Programme was established in September to encourage more people to build a career in workplace health and safety and increase the capability and capacity of New Zealand's professional health and safety workforce.

HASANZ received over 100 applications which were evaluated by a panel including representatives from tertiary institutes, HASANZ member associations and the wider health and safety sector.

"There was an overwhelming response and the calibre of the applicants was high," says evaluation panel member Dr Felicity Lamm, who is Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). "It shows that people are taking the profession of workplace health and safety seriously, because they see its future."

Seven general scholarships were awarded to people who already work in health and safety and want to upskill with a relevant diploma or degree.

A further 11 scholarships were awarded for postgraduate study in a specialist field of workplace health and safety. These include five scholarships earmarked for study in occupational hygiene to help address the acute shortage of occupational hygienist skills in New Zealand, with the support of WorkSafe New Zealand.

Inaugural HASANZ Scholarship sponsors include: Air New Zealand, Z Energy, Fonterra, KiwiRail, SafetyApp.Pro, Safe 365, Treescape and PwC New Zealand.

"The number of applications we received far exceeded our expectations and reflects a latent demand for health and safety qualifications," says HASANZ Executive Director Philip Aldridge.

These scholarships help remove a barrier for a number of practitioners who have years of experience in health and safety but don't have spare funds for further study €“ it can be a luxury when you have a family to support and a mortgage to pay," says Philip Aldridge. "With money on the table, these people have a bridge to move from "thinking about it" to "doing it".  The HASANZ Scholarship programme has been a catalyst for action.

"The HASANZ Scholarships programme is one of those programmes that lights a candle €“ it will help people recognise and realise that health and safety is a rewarding career.€