Saskatchewan Collaborative Nursing Program and Collège Mathieu Commit to Supporting French-Language Educational Programs
Collège Mathieu, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and the University of Regina today signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) committing the parties to work together in mutual support of nursing/health related French-language educational programs.
“There is a growing demand in Saskatchewan’s francophone communities for health-care-related providers who are fluent in both official languages,” says Dr. Vianne Timmons, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Regina. “By signing this Letter of Intent our three institutions are agreeing to work together to support a laddering concept for French-language/bilingual nursing-health programs – continuing care assistant, practical nursing, and registered nursing – to help meet the demand for health care providers in our francophone communities and with French-speaking residents of Saskatchewan.”
“We deeply appreciate our partnerships with the University of Regina and Collège Mathieu, and we welcome this new opportunity to work alongside them to ensure today’s health-care providers have the technical and linguistic skills necessary to meet the demands of the communities we serve,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech president and CEO. “Signing this LOI will significantly benefit Francophone communities and nursing students across the province.”
“Saskatchewan is among the determinants of the inter-provincial migration and international immigration, and experiences a steady increase of students in French and immersion schools. Therefore, there is a need to offer post-secondary education for French speaking people to strengthen their skills and competencies,” says Mr. Francis Kasongo, CEO of Collège Mathieu. “This collaboration allows access to greater health-care services, but it also contributes to professional fulfillment for any French language natives and Francophiles who are planning to build a career in health.”
The Letter of Intent further commits the parties to sharing resources, as appropriate, and to the development of a Memorandum of Agreement to further define collaborative outcomes regarding French-language education programming.