Sask. ups funding to trades and skills centres in Regina, Saskatoon

The province is giving $534,000 in funding for Regina and Saskatoon trades and skills centres, adding new in-demand training programs at both facilities.

The Government of Saskatchewan announced a $534,000 funding boost to the Regina and Saskatoon Trades and Skills Centres.

Both locations will fund three “in-demand” additional programs, which are to-be-determined.

“We will talk about what those courses are going to look like,” said Brian Shankowsky, executive director of Regina Trades and Skills Centre (RTSC).

Shankowsky said some existing courses might be replicated to a certain extent.

“The demand is huge and other courses are going to allow us some opportunity and flexibility to introduce some new courses at the same time,” he added.

Shankowsky will oversee the introduction of the new courses after retiring from his current role.

“We have roughly $62 million worth of capital projects either in place right now or on their way, with over 60 projects,” said Terry Jenson, Saskatchewan’s minister of social services.

The minister says Saskatchewan has the lowest unemployment rate in the country as of March, along with the third lowest student unemployment rate.

Jenson said it was important to train as many people as possible.

“This is why we’re doing everything we can, particularly within the skilled trades because we know that in order to grow the province and move things forward and to be able to provide the highest quality of life, we’re going to need skilled trades in this province,” he said.

Both centres offer short-term training for in-demand trades, with programs that are supposed to lead to entry-level jobs. In Regina’s location, they enrolled 174 students in 2024-2025, while Saskatoon enrolled 138.

Shankowsky mentioned training for exterior installers, carpenters and power line technicians has recently been offered at the Regina location. He says that whenever he sends emails about the start of a new course, they sometimes receive more responses back from employers in the first week than students enrolled in the program.

Power line technician student Sophia Greenley says she’s noticed a greater intrigue in in the trade.

“It’s a lot more popular to want to be the person that goes up the polls and does all the big work,” she said.

“I would still say that there’s not enough people in it, but there’s never enough in the outskirts of the Timbuktu that needs all the power lines.”

Greenley is currently in her second week of the power line technician program and has been interested in the trade for the past three years.

“When you’re working on the ground, you’re on your feet. But on the power line, you’re up on a pole and you have to trust your gaffs, you have to trust the spikes on your feet. You have to trust that your belt’s going to catch you when you fall. It’s one of the only trades that requires you to be in full arrest of your entire job,” she said.

Carpentry student Jordan Malo is halfway through his course work and will be training in a few weeks from now.

He says that he’s also seen an increase in demand for carpenters, not only out of necessity, but for intrigue.

“A lot of people just like building things, that’s why I like it,” he said. “It’s relatively easy, relatively safe work, I would say.”

Malo started his interest in carpentry two years ago and was surprised by the physical-mental work ratio.

“The amount of planning that goes into all that’s involved and the amount of math that’s involved with getting your cuts right, getting your angles for roofs and things like that -- I didn’t realize how much planning or how many numbers are involved,” he said.

According to Shankowsky, the Saskatoon location will be receiving “a little bit more” of the 50/50 split between the two locations.