By Nigel Maxwell

Layoffs announced at Sask. Polytechnic

Apr 30, 2018 | 8:00 AM

As students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic campuses across the province are preparing for graduation, and some teachers and faculty members are pondering their futures as well.

Layoff notices were recently issued to 22 employees, including 17 academics. Another 20 faculty members have agreed to voluntary severance. Provost and Vice-President Academic Anne Neufeld said she could not comment on any specific affect the job cuts might have on their campuses. The layoffs will take effect at the end of June.

“A number of our programs are quite small, especially at our smaller campuses such as Prince Albert and Moose Jaw, so out of respect for our employees we do not share program-specific information,” she said.

The restructuring came as part of the school’s annual operating review. Neufeld said the programming at Sask Polytechnic is dynamic and always evolving, reflecting Saskatchewan’s labour market trends.

“It’s really looking at a combination of factors, like how many graduates are moving into the labour market, and also how many students are interested in that particular program,” Neufeld said.

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Neufeld said some programs get suspended because they may not be serving their originally intended purpose, though they may be restored at a later time. She said layoff decisions are always very difficult to make, which is why they seek help from their program advisory committees.

“Across Saskatchewan Polytechnic we have about 800 industry experts who provide advice to us on the various programs,” she said.

The Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union (SGEU) said the layoffs show the provincial government is “unwilling to invest properly in post-secondary education.”

In a statement released Monday, SGEU said five of the affected positions were members of their Professional Services Bargaining Unit (PSBU), which represented the school’s non-academic staff.

“Sask Polytech cannot continue to lose support staff and instructors. These are the workers who make student success possible,” PSBU Chair Bonnie Bond said. “For years we’ve seen in-scope staffing levels minimized or cut back, while out-of-scope managerial positions increased rapidly.”

SGEU said labour market changes do not justify the layoffs, saying tough economic times require more opportunities for citizens to advance their skills and increase employability.

–With files from Glenn Hicks

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 10:25 a.m. on Monday, April 30, 2018 to include comments from SGEU.

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell