KENASTON - Starting this fall, Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (Sask DLC) will partner with SaskPower to provide high school students and adults online 4th- and 5th-class Power Engineering courses.
"Sask DLC courses offer students the chance to explore future careers in our province while earning high school credits," Minister Responsible for Sask DLC Jeremy Cockrill said. "Sask DLC is proud to partner with SaskPower to continue to offer these unique opportunities and the 4th-class high school program is the only one of its kind in Canada."
"Power Engineers are vital for the operation of our provincial power grid, as well as other heavy industries that keep our province's economy growing," Minister Responsible for SaskPower Dustin Duncan said.
Within Sask DLC's 5th-class program, students take two online courses within the same school year. These courses provide an introduction to power engineering including boiler operations and maintenance. Each course includes a 50-hour work study allowing students to obtain the steam time requirements for their certification. Fifth-class courses are ideal for students wishing for an introduction to the career. Students who complete their 5th-class are also eligible to upgrade to their 4th-class certification by taking an additional two upgrade courses.
Through the 4th-class program students take a total of four online classes that each include 50 hours of online theory and 50 hours of work study time, providing practical experience and preparing them for industry exams. This program is ideal for students interested in pursuing power engineering as a career after high school and upon completion students are eligible to be employed as a 4th-class engineer.
These courses have been offered in Saskatchewan high schools since 2014, and have been administered by Sask DLC since its inception in 2023. The programs are accredited by the Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan (TSASK).
A new Memorandum of Understanding between Sask DLC and SaskPower will see the Crown power utility coordinate and promote student steam lab time and scholarship opportunities for continued education and advancement in the field. SaskPower also provides students with hands-on experience at its portable steam lab.
"We are pleased to support this program, which will help to engage and develop Saskatchewan students into future leaders in the electricity industry and beyond," SaskPower President and CEO Rupen Pandya said.
"Industry support for work experience programs like power engineering are key to providing students with meaningful experience and insight to possible career paths, allowing them to make informed decisions about their future," Sask DLC CEO Darren Gasper said.
To date, 327 Saskatchewan students have completed the 4th-class, and 141 have completed the 5th-class power engineering program.
In addition, the Kenaston-based DLC will also be teaming with Tourism Saskatchewan to help high school students learn about tourism career opportunities in the province.
A new agreement has been signed between the two that will support Grade 10-12 students to learn about the tourism industry in our province through online courses with work placements. This partnership allows students to explore future career opportunities in their home communities and aims to grow the skilled workforce needed to support the growing industry.
Students will learn about quality customer service, event organization and community engagement as part of Saskatchewan’s growing tourism industry.
Through the new partnership, Tourism Saskatchewan is investing $40,000 to provide a work placement coordinator, who will support students taking Tourism 20 or 30 courses to access work placement opportunities near them.
Tourism Saskatchewan is providing resources and videos to supplement student learning in the 10, 20 and 30 level online courses. Materials will cover five key industries, including accommodation, food and beverage, recreation and entertainment, transportation and travel services.
Students in the 20 and 30 level courses will take 50 hours of online theory and 50 hours of a work placement at a local business. Through their work placements, students will be able to learn more about vital service industries in their area, such as hotels, museums, restaurants, events, tourist attractions and more.
Saskatchewan businesses interested in hosting a student work placement can reach out directly to Sask DLC at [email protected]. Businesses will be placed with students as registrations come in from their area, following regular workplace safety inspections.
The updated Tourism 20 online course with work placement will be available to students starting in Semester 2 of the 2024-25 school year, with a new Tourism 30 course to follow in 2025-26. This is in addition the 10-level online theory course that is already available.
Sask DLC courses are available to full-time online students, as well as high school students attending local schools throughout the province to supplement their in-person learning. Sask DLC registration is currently open.
