REGINA – Layoffs at Saskatchewan Polytechnic continue to be a major issue at the Saskatchewan Legislature, amid reports of another program being cut this fall.
Opposition critic Tajinder Grewal raised the issue of “dozens of jobs cut at campuses across the province” in the Assembly Tuesday, and pinned the blame on the Sask Party government having “underfunded Sask Poly year after year until they are forced to cut staff.”
In his responses in Question Period Tuesday, Minister of Advanced Education Ken Cheveldayoff again pointed to the federal government’s cap on international students as impacting revenue. He also pointed to the multi-year funding agreement that was recently signed.
“The member opposite and members across the floor and members on this side of the House will know the federal government put a cap on international students. This has affected the finances of institutions across the country. In Saskatchewan we are very, very fortunate. We have a multi-year funding program that was historic for Saskatchewan and precedent-setting across the country. It’s the envy across the country,” said Cheveldayoff.
He acknowledged that “151 layoffs is something to be concerned about,” but added “we’re trying to insulate our institutions due to the good leadership work of our senior staff at those institutions. We’re ensuring that the layoffs are as minimal as possible.”
Cheveldayoff also pointed to what transpired in Manitoba.
“Manitoba’s made the decision to close the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology. We take no glee in that, but that’s the seriousness of this situation. Thank goodness that we have a multi-year funding agreement that is bumping up monies that go to those institutions, for sure. And we will ensure that we keep putting students first in this province.”
In speaking to reporters, Cheveldayoff confirmed 123 layoffs happened at Sask Polytechnic last year, and there were another 28 this year, for 151 total.
He emphasized Sask Polytechnic operated at arms length with the government and made their own decisions on hiring.
Still, Cheveldayoff said what he tried to do in the Assembly was “put it in context of what’s happening across the country." He said there were 17,000 layoffs in regional colleges and universities across the country, "because of the federal government decision to cap International students.”
But in speaking to reporters, NDP critic Grewal was concerned about the prospect of even more bad news for Sask Polytechnic, as he pointed to news that emerged last week that another program there is disappearing.
Grewal pointed to the suspension of the Health Information Management program starting this fall, which he said will mean even more job losses.
“This program started in the 1960s and now they’re going to discontinue,” Grewal said.
“It’s going to impact 75-plus faculty and staff.”
He said in talking to Sask Polytechnic staff and faculty, “their morale is at the lowest point now because they don’t know how many more positions are going to be cut in the coming months.”
Cheveldayoff told reporters the federal government’s immigration policy was “definitely” the sole reason for the layoffs happening at Sask Polytechnic, but did point to their multiyear funding agreement as stemming some of the issues seen.
“In Saskatchewan we’re going in the other direction — we have multi-year funding and increase of three per cent per year for our institutions for the next four years. That was announced in November and it really set a precedent across the country. So Sask Poly is well run, well led, well financed and one of the leaders in the country.”
