The federal government halved the number of available Provincial Nominee Program spots from 110,000 to 55,000 in 2024. That translated to a similar cut to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), down to 3,600 spots, from 7,200.

The SINP criteria for international students was also revised this year, which placed additional requirements on applicants.

The Government of Saskatchewan has been and continues to advocate for our post-secondary institutions to the federal government on this issue, said the provinces email.

Downton called on the provincial government to adequately and sustainably fund public post-secondary education in light of the downturn.

This is not just a fiscal issue, she said. It is a question of provincial priorities.

Tajinder Grewal, Saskatchewan NDP critic for advanced education, criticized the governments funding regime for Sask. Polytech. In a news release, he said the province should never have been in this position in the first place.

An emailed statement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said it would not comment on the financial health of individual schools.

Education is a provincial and territorial responsibility in Canada so is the adequate funding of post-secondary institutions, said IRCCs statement, adding that the number of immigrants welcomed to Canada each year is determined by the federal Immigration Levels Plan.

The Government of Canada expects designated learning institutions to only accept the number of students that they can reasonably support, including providing housing options for them.

The school did not say which programs or locations will be affected by the latest layoffs, but Downton indicated the future cuts are anticipated to impact in-scope and out-of-scope employees.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic offers diploma and degree programs as well as apprenticeship training at campuses in Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert.

This news comes as the school is preparing for construction of a new campus in Saskatoon, supported by a $200-million commitment from the province for the project.

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