By Sarah Wallace

Name change possible for SIAST

Nov 22, 2013 | 3:20 PM

A small change could be coming to the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) in the form of a name change.

A new bill was recently introduced in the legislature that allows the school to be designated as a polytechnic institute.

If the name change is allowed it would change from SIAST to Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

However, the change needs to go through three readings. It has already been through the first reading, and it’s expected that the finalization of the name change will come in the spring of 2014.

SIAST president Dr. Larry Rosia said it’s just a name change and programing won’t be affected because the programming they already follow the lines of a polytechnic institute.

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He said this is really an opportunity for SIAST to reposition itself within the post-secondary sector, the province and nationally as well and take its spot as one of the key players in polytechnics in the country.

“The renaming to Saskatchewan Polytechnic better reflects the … depths of programing available at our organization; we’ve for a long time been seen by a lot of our stakeholders as strong in the trades, which we are very strong in … but we’re much more than that,” he said.

“We offer strong apprenticeship training, strong certificates, diplomas, degrees, and the curriculum is credential based and based really on employer needs. We’re employer-driven, so we like to say ‘we’re student-focused and industry-driven.’”

The programs offered by SIAST and those offered by polytechnic institutes have many things in common including an applied learning approach, which Rosia said is really what a polytechnic school is all about.

Polytechnic schools produce graduates for all sectors in the economy from business to health to science and technologies.

“For a long time we were seen as being limited in our offerings, but the polytechnic name just, I think, enhances and showcases, profiles, more of the types of programing we do have,” Rosia said.

It’s also consistent with SIAST’s approach and focus on applied research and partnerships with industry.

“We believe the applied research is another value added we can bring to the table for our students, facility as well as industry and help industry find practical solutions to real-world problems. So industry does have ideas that they want to work with and prototype, bring to the market and our students, facility and staff the expertise that we have in house we’re able to work with them to help them find those real-world solutions,” he said.

It’s all about building their reputation as a leader in post-secondary education in province and nationally, which would allow SIAST to attract more students to the province.

Rosia said this will help support the growth of the work force in the province as well as adding to the population growth, which is what the provincial government’s growth plan is all about.

He said the change will also enhance the profile of students graduating from the school.

“Our employment rate right now is in the high 90s and 95 per cent of the students that do graduate from our organization stay in Saskatchewan and work in Saskatchewan. So we’re kind of at a key time in the province right now where there are more jobs than graduates, it’s a great opportunity for our students, and many of them are able to get work immediately upon graduation,” he said.

SIAST has 26,000 students with campuses in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon.

swallace@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahthesquid