Labour market needs drive SaskPoly student growth

He also said that from what he sees and hears from industry and employers shows a demand for many thousands of workers across the board.

The school regularly consults with industries to gauge which jobs are in high demand so it can adjust its programming accordingly and the current labour market information they are getting does not reflect any softening in the demand for people in Saskatchewan’s resource-driven economy.

“When you start to add up all of the labour shortages and all the sectors in the labour market analysis that they’ve done on the demand, we just do not have the people to fill all those jobs and that’s going to require us bringing in talent from other countries.”

With over 3,000 international students, Rosia said the school is keeping a close eye on changes in Ottawa that might affect that situation.

“Our program advisory group really kind of keeps up tuned in to labour market trends and labour market needs and the skills that our graduates want,” he explained.

Like all of their students, SaskPoly tracks the post-graduate employment rates of international students. Rosia said the numbers are pretty much the same with 97 per cent finding work.

Not only that, but he also said those international students educated in Saskatchewan are choosing to remain in the province rather than moving to more populous centres.

“They’re coming, they’re filling jobs and they’re not taking jobs away from our domestic students, which is really important. It’s a perception that might be out there, but they aren’t. They’re filling jobs that would otherwise go vacant.”

The mining sector has just completed a labour market analysis that shows thousands of positions that will soon need to be filled. The nuclear sector is looking at thousands of trade positions and technologists to build and decommission facilities.

Huge shortages are still happening in health care and, said Rosia, the opportunities in the cyber security field number around 25,000.

Broken down, the school – which has a campus in Prince Albert, one in Saskatoon, another in Regina and a fourth in Moose Jaw – had a nine per cent increase in certificate, diploma and degree programs in the last year.

Indigenous student enrollment has increased by four per cent to a total 1,170 students.

International students make up a growing portion of the student base. Increasing five per cent to 3,361 pupils this year.

“I think this highlights our growing reputation on the global stage as well,” said Rosia.

Saskatchewan is seeing significant increases in construction. In Prince Albert this year, development topped $1 billion according to Mayor Greg Dionne and it is projected to almost reach that again next year.

A major hospital expansion began construction this spring and will add 500 health care jobs. The new arena/aquatic center is almost done and businesses are starting to spring up around it. Housing is also beginning to pick up steam. Not far away, Saskatoon is still experiencing a construction boom as well.

“Right now, with the construction happening in the province, the major infrastructure projects, the mining projects, the tradespeople are in high demand in our apprenticeship programs,” said Rosia.

The provincial mining and construction are looking for carpenters, electricians, plumbers, civil engineers and power engineers.

Saskatoon has the largest student body with just under 5,000 people, followed by Regina with 3,847 and Prince Albert is home to 1,250 students. Just under 900 students are attending the Moose Jaw campus.

While the boom is causing the Saskatoon campus(es) to burst at the seams, Rosia said there is still room in Prince Albert to accommodate more students.

To manage, they have been creative with scheduling classes at different times so, for instance, they can make better use of labs.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

by Susan McNeil

Labour market needs drive SaskPoly student growth

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