WAKAW — High school students in Saskatchewan have a new pathway to explore careers in health care with the launch of Health Careers 20L, an innovative course providing students with an early exposure to potential career opportunities in the province’s health care sector.
In an article published May 12, 2025, in the Leader Post, SUN President Byron Boynton argued that a “homegrown approach” as opposed to return-for-service contracts was the path to follow to find long-term answers to nursing shortages. He said that part of the long-term solution needs to be creating career pathways that will increase access to registered nursing education, a greater collaboration with local schools, Indigenous communities, educators and the health authority to promote registered nursing as a career, as well as supporting registered nurses to become Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in the communities where they already reside. This high school course may be a first step in that direction.
Developed for high school students by Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (Sask DLC) in direct collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Virtual Health Hub, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Health Careers 20L will give students insight into what today’s health care professionals do in their fields, allowing students to make informed decisions about future post-secondary education options and career plans. Health Careers 20L will be offered as an online asynchronous course beginning in September this year. While Health Careers 20L will be offered through Sask DLC, school divisions also have the option to offer the course as an elective to students in their schools.
Health Careers 20L introduces students to a variety of health care careers, including nursing, medical diagnostics, pharmacy, dentistry, mental wellness, and emergency care. Students will learn about the structure of the health care system and explore specific pathways such as nursing and patient care, medical diagnostics, pharmacy, mental health, public health, medical informatics, and dental care. The course also covers emerging roles like Physician Assistant and Virtual Health Care Assistant. Students can expect to develop employability skills, professional awareness, and an understanding of patient-centred care. Additionally, they will gain knowledge of health care systems, professional roles, ethics, safety, and effective communication.
“This course is about helping students get their best start to post-secondary education, and supports long-term workforce awareness by introducing the diverse roles available in the sector here in Saskatchewan,” Minister Responsible for Sask DLC Everett Hindley said.
Minister Hindley heralded the launch of Health Careers 20L, saying it supports the Ministry of Health’s mandate to recruit, train, and retain healthcare professionals in Saskatchewan by introducing high school students to career opportunities in health care, and also aligns with the Patient First Health Care Plan, which aims to expand training opportunities for students in the province.
“Engaging high school students and adult learners will help them gain exposure to a wide range of experience and open further opportunities, including job shadowing, employment within a health care setting and financial incentives,” Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said.
Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre (Sask DLC) is Saskatchewan’s provincial Kindergarten to Grade 12 online learning provider, serving K-12 students who study online, as well as high school students choosing to take one or more online courses not available in their school to support their in-class learning and graduation plans. Students under 22 can take online courses at no cost, while adults aged 22 and older pay a tuition fee of $500 per course.
Courses offered through Sask DLC follow a Ministry-approved curriculum and are available throughout Saskatchewan. All teachers are fully qualified and certified, receiving assignments via online submissions, and regularly check in with students and collaborate with the Online Learning Facilitator (OLF) at schools. Students have 24/7 access to their courses, and the OLF assists with exams and course-related questions. Sask DLC’s head office is in Kenaston, with an administrative office in Regina and 12 regional campuses.
