Released on March 14, 2008
Health Minister Don McMorris will meet future health professionals on Sunday at a health recruitment career fair in Calgary, as part of the government's commitment to keep and attract health care workers.
"I am pleased to spend time today with students studying health professions -- and encourage them to establish careers in Saskatchewan," McMorris said. "It's a fact that many of our students have relocated to Alberta, so I am making sure they know they would be returning to a prosperous and growing economy with vibrant job opportunities and incentives. Saskatchewan, more than ever, is an especially attractive place to call home."
Last month the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses signed a partnership agreement --- the first of its kind in Canada --- that provides a menu of recruitment and retention measures aimed at solving the provinces nursing shortage. The partnership agreement sets aggressive targets to add 800 more nurses over the next three years.
Along with the partnership, the recent recruitment trip to the Philippines resulted in nearly 300 new nurses who are expected to begin working in Saskatchewan health facilities by this summer. In addition, Minister McMorris attended Regina's recruitment fair earlier this year, the first Saskatchewan Health Minister to do this.
The Health Minister along with HealthCareersinSask.ca the province's health care recruitment agency which connects health professionals with career opportunities in regional health authorities will visit health career fairs across Canada, as well as the United Kingdom. Recruitment efforts aimed at promoting Saskatchewan to health workers will take place at more than 20 career fairs across Canada this year.
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For more information, contact:
Andrew Dinsmore
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: adinsmore@health.gov.sk.ca