Province Increasing Educational Opportunities for those Interested in Healthcare Careers
Saskatchewan is taking major steps to enhance educational opportunities for students and young adults interested in pursuing a career in healthcare. The province is investing more than $5.5 million in 18 health care training programs, which will lead to the creation of over 550 new post-secondary training seats.
Expanding health training programs is part of the province’s Health Human Resources Action Plan, which has four pillars: recruit, train, incentivize, and retain. This investment will not only increase training capacity at the post-secondary institutions in the province but also reserve additional training seats for Saskatchewan students in specialized programs in other provinces.
The Minister of Advanced Education, Gordon Wyant, said that this initiative will provide more students in Saskatchewan with access to training for their desired career, thereby opening up exciting new health career options. He also added that the scale of the expansion of the province’s health training capacity demonstrates the government’s commitment to strengthening the health care workforce.
Starting from the fall of 2023, various training programs such as Medical Laboratory Assistant, Continuing Care Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, Clinical Psychologist, Physical Therapist, Mental Health and Addictions Counsellor, and others will expand. Technical schools, regional colleges, Indigenous institutions, and universities across the province will support the expansion to allow students to study and work closer to home.
Moreover, the province will purchase more seats for Saskatchewan students at institutions outside the province for specialized programs not available in Saskatchewan. This includes programs such as Respiratory Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Electro-Neurophysiology, and others. For the first time, seats will be reserved for Saskatchewan students in Speech Language Pathology and Environmental Public Health.
The province has also launched a public awareness campaign to make students and young adults aware of the expanded training programs, financial support, and job opportunities available to them. Financial aid options like loans, grants, bursaries, and scholarships are available to support students’ educational journeys. The Graduate Retention Program offers up to $20,000 in tax credits for those who stay in the province after graduation.
In conclusion, the Health Human Resources Action Plan is an ambitious initiative aimed at stabilizing and growing the health-care workforce in the province. With ongoing investments in the future, the plan is expected to add over 1,000 health professionals to the health system in the coming years. To find more information about the program, visit Saskatchewan.ca/HHR.
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