The Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association (SMPIA) has partnered with Prairies Economic Development Canada to launch a training and mentorship program to build up the province’s local crew base.

The government has provided $900,000 to SMPIA for a one-year program of “pre-employment training workshops and paid, on-set mentored positions with active Saskatchewan productions,” according to a news release issued Friday (April 21). The program was launched on April 1.

The amount provided will support 50 Saskatchewan residents, said the release. SMPIA has also partnered with the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies to support education and training for Indigenous participants, with a minimum 30% of program spots dedicated to participants who identify as Indigenous.

Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport Laura Ross said the program “creates more opportunities for young people to realize their future right here in Saskatchewan,” in a statement, while SMPIA chair Mike McNaughton added that is “crucial to quickly growing the sector.”

“This investment will create new, well-paying jobs that improve the quality of life for Saskatchewan residents seeking a career in film, while contributing to Saskatchewan’s economy,” said Creative Saskatchewan CEO Erin Dean.

A “labour supply and demand database” for the province is also currently in development, said the release.

The government of Saskatchewan has increased its investment in the local sector in the last two fiscal years, more than a decade after the province’s tax credit was cancelled.

The province’s production grant was increased to $12 million for the 2023-24 fiscal year, after a significant bump from $2 million to $10 million and a grant cap increase in the previous fiscal. The government provided a total of $17.5 million to the production grant last year due to high demand.

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