Saskatchewan provides $1.15 million to connect post-secondary interns with employers

The government of Saskatchewan announced Tuesday that it is providing $1.15 million to Mitacs for research internships and programming, including the new Indigenous Pathways program.

This funding is an increase of $600,000 and will support internships for undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students to continue work in Saskatchewan industries.

“This investment increases opportunities for students to develop and apply their education and research skills while gaining valuable work experience that benefits our industries and province,” Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant said. “Mitacs supports Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan by helping develop a skilled workforce and enhancing business productivity and innovation.

Wyant said this funding will allow 265 interns to participate in the Mitacs program.

Mitacs is a national non-profit program that creates partnerships between businesses and post-secondary institutions to connect interns with employers. It is currently supporting internships through the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Polytechnic and Parkland College.

“Because of Mitacs, I have the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in applied research, make important professional connections in my field and serve as a conduit between the renowned Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute (CETRI) at the University of Regina and key industry players working to generate renewable hydrogen,” said Abdinoor Jelle, postdoctoral researcher and Mitacs fellow at CETRI.

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“I am contributing my skills and expertise to help advance a critical source of clean energy for the future – an opportunity I wouldn’t have without Mitacs. By providing connections to industry, it has made it possible for me to pursue my career in renewable clean energy, and I am grateful for that.”

These internships are designed for students who are searching for work in agriculture, life sciences, oil and gas, energy, technology and innovation.

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“The path to continued prosperity relies on robust competitiveness, access to skilled talent and the capacity to innovate,” Mitacs chief business development officer Tash Ismail said. “In this lies an opportunity for our innovators to do things differently.

“Mitacs aims to create change by harnessing the power of innovation. We see that resolve in Saskatchewan, too: to discover and design new solutions for everything from food security to chronic pain to carbon capture. With the generous support of the province, our team will continue, in collaboration with our industry and post-secondary partners across the province, to deliver top talent and make real impact.”