NLSD closing gap when it comes to teacher shortage

Young believes there are several reasons why they have been able to hire and retain more teachers, such as the implementation of bonuses, subsidized housing, the creation of teacher education programs (TEP), and the hiring of a professional recruiter.

For instance, NLSD will provide $10,000 to new teachers who accept positions in either Bear Creek, La Loche, Sandy Bay, Stony Rapids or Uranium City, as well as provide $5,000 to teachers who are hired for schools in Air Ronge, Beauval, Brabant Lake, Buffalo Narrows, Cole Bay, Cumberland House, Green Lake, Jans Bay, La Ronge, Pinehouse Lake, St. George’s Hill, Timber Bay and Weyakwin.

“The other thing we are seeing on the horizon in the future is we are seeing in light of the teacher education programs we are running across the division. We have the TEP program running in Pelican Narrows and Sandy Bay, so we will have a cohort graduate this spring and we can hire those students for the fall,” Young noted.

“We also have the Beauval TEP program we’ve got running there. That’s a couple of years left for that one, but that will also pay off in a few years. We also recognize the challenges in Pinehouse with our recruitment and retention issues. We are running a TEP this fall in Pinehouse that we are excited about and that will definitely help down the road.”

The NLSD is a major employer in Northern Saskatchewan. At the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, the NLSD had 3,766 students enrolled and employed 685 staff, including 235 teachers.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Cornet

NLSD closing gap when it comes to teacher shortage

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