SASKATCHEWAN RECRUITS HEALTH STUDENTS AT CAREER FAIRS

The province of Saskatchewan will attempt to attract health care workers at recruitment career fairs across Canada this fall.

Legislative Secretary for Nurse Recruitment and Retention Laura Ross will meet future health professionals at career fairs in Vancouver and Edmonton early next week.

"I am very pleased to meet young people interested in pursuing health careers and I would like to encourage them to consider coming to Saskatchewan," Ross said. "Many of our students have relocated to British Columbia and Alberta, so I want them to know that they would be returning to a growing economy with excellent job opportunities."

In February, the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses signed a partnership agreement 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, a trip earlier this year to the Philippines resulted in nearly 300 new nurses, many of whom began working in Saskatchewan health facilities this fall.

Health Minister Don McMorris and Laura Ross, along with HealthCareersinSask.ca - the province's health care recruitment agency which connects health professionals with career opportunities in health regions - will visit health career fairs across Canada, as well as the United Kingdom. Recruitment efforts aimed at promoting Saskatchewan to health care workers will take place at more than 15 career fairs across Canada this year.

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For more information, contact:

Karen Hill
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083