July 20, 2021 – Saskatchewan is providing roughly $13 million in new funding to Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship & Trade Certification Commission (SATCC) to deliver education and skills training programs “to help grow a skilled workforce”.

“Saskatchewan’s greatest resource has always been its people, and this funding supports the provincial Growth Plan priority to develop a skilled workforce in our province through education and training,” said Jeremy Harrison, Immigration and Career Training Minister.

The funding will target training for economic opportunities, promote recruitment and retention of young people, support participation of those currently under-represented in the workforce, “and continue growing an engaged and inclusive workforce for the future,” added Harrison.

A total of $11.3 million will be provided to Saskatchewan Polytechnic for the purpose of developing and delivering three training initiatives in 2021-22. Among them:

• Disability services programming for adult learners with disabilities.

• Newcomer services programming to provide in-demand skills training and language training for newcomers to Canada.

“Supporting an inclusive, diverse and skilled workforce to promote Saskatchewan’s growth priorities is important to Sask Polytech,” said its president & CEO, Dr. Larry Rosia.

A total of $1.68 million will be provided to SATCC for the purpose of coordinating and delivering three initiatives (by the end of FY 2021/22) that aim to increase the number of apprentices in the province:

• Teaching kits for elementary and high school educators to broaden students’ awareness of apprenticeships and careers in the trades.

• Tiny house project for Indigenous apprentices to gain work experience while progressing toward journeyman certification by building modular houses in local communities.

• Virtual reality kits for career exploration of apprenticeship trades programs with youth throughout the province.

“We already engage Saskatchewan youth and Indigenous communities through our well-established Indigenous Apprenticeship Initiative and Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship programs,” said Jeff Ritter, SATCC’s CEO. “This funding will enable us to reach out in new, innovative ways.”

“Ultimately, it will help facilitate a diverse, inclusive apprenticeship and trade certification system; one that is representative of our province’s population.”

Funding for these projects has been secured through the Labour Market Transfer Agreement negotiated with the Government of Canada.