Two new training programs at the U of S are expected to improve recruitment and retention of specialists in Saskatchewan. (Will Mandzuk/650CKOM)

By CKOM

Specialist training

Occupational and speech language therapist programs coming to U of S

Jun 15, 2024 | 10:51 AM

The Government of Saskatchewan is making a big investment to help establish two new health training programs at the University of Saskatchewan.

The funding of $8.1 million will establish new programs for occupational therapy and speech language pathology, which are both in high demand as the province struggles with shortages of specialists and health-care workers. The two-year masters programs will accept up to 40 students per year, and are expected to begin in the fall of 2026.

Previously, Saskatchewan students needed to take advantage of reserved seats in out-of-province training programs.

Some students in the new programs will go through clinical placements in the first year of the courses, offering an early boost to the health-care system.

The province is also investing $2 million into the development of a training program for physician assistants at the university, which is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2025.

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“These programs will expand USask’s ability to train health professionals, whose skills are in high-demand and whose contributions will improve the quality of life across Saskatchewan,” Peter Stoicheff, the university’s president, said in a statement.

Colleen Young, Saskatchewan’s minister of advanced education, said offering the training in the province will help with both recruitment and retention efforts.

“Establishing these programs in-province will give more students the opportunity to train closer to home and make it easier to retain our grads here in Saskatchewan,” Young said in a statement.

The creation of the new programs was celebrated by advocacy groups.

“The opening of this speech-language pathology program at the University of Saskatchewan heralds a new era in practice for our province,” said Jennifer Cameron-Turley, with Speech-Language & Audiology Canada, quoted in the government’s statement.

Christine Fleming, regional director with the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists’ Saskatchewan Chapter, said the new program will help address the shortage of occupational therapists and provide better access to care for residents.

“The creation of this occupational therapy program at USask will address the long-standing provincial shortage of OTs and allow for greater access to critical occupational therapy services that serve Saskatchewan’s population needs, including primary care access, mental health support and management of chronic conditions,” Fleming said in a statement.