SAAR Works With Educators to
Promote the Automotive Trades
 

The needs are plentiful and there are numerous opportunities to partner with our educational stakeholders.
 
As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, please try and attend these types of events when they happen, if you cannot do that then at least help SAAR financially by signing up for a SAAR Industry & Education Sponsorship that you can access here. For as little as $25 a month you can help us help you to access potential new employees.
 
Speaking of helping out with finances, I received an email last week from a body shop owner who agreed to sponsor an upcoming Industry & Education Boot Camp for the tidy sum of $2500! For the record we currently sponsor four of these events – two in Regina and two in Saskatoon so this gift helps out tremendously.
 

 
Brittany Huber and her team at ACX Venture (formerly Saskatoon Motor Products) are doing their part to promote the auto body trade to young women. This is the second year that Brittany has hosted this event and she invites you to attend or to invite young ladies that you think might be interested in checking this out.
 
This event gives high school girls a hands-on, interactive “Crash Course” experience to explore opportunities in the autobody industry. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of skilled trades professionals in a fun and welcoming environment.

Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: ACX Venture

Registration is open, and here’s the link to share with any students or contacts who may be interested: https://forms.gle/SZ6RdxkkF8q8k7wHA

We’d greatly appreciate your help spreading the word so more young women can attend. Thank you for supporting us in empowering students to explore careers in the skilled trades!

We hear it all the time:
“We can’t find enough skilled trades workers.”

• You need workers
• Students want to experience the trades
• SYIP makes that connection happen

Our organization (RDIEC) runs the Work Safe Grade 9 “Try a Career” (TaC) event every year in the week prior to May long weekend.  We service Regina Public, Regina Catholic, Prairie Valley, and File Hills Qu’Appelle school divisions, as well as several independent First Nations.  Our three-day event sees approximately 3800+ students.  We focus on Grade 9 as these students are just entering Grade 10, determining their entrance into the world of work, choosing high school credits, getting their license, and learning the importance of safety in the workplace.  We consider it a pivotal year. Our event is as hands-on as we can make it, in fact we strongly encourage our displayers to have something that kids can DO.  We don’t mind brochures and swag, we just really want kids to engage in the trade or career that might spark an interest or passion in them. In many cases it is an early career awareness opportunity and exploration. We invite industry, education, and safety leaders to display.

TaC takes place every year (this is our tenth annual event).  We encourage displayers to set up in the afternoon of the Monday prior to student arrival Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (May 11, 12, 13, and 14, 2026).  The event takes place in the Multiplex and Stardome arena in Balgonie.  We also utilize the space between these two venues for those trades or displayers that wish to be outdoors. An example is the Bricklayers Union, who have kids lay a brick wall outside.
 
Click Here to complete the Grade 9 WorkSafe Try a Career Registration 

 I have attached a registration form link above for your consideration. 
In addition to the above RDIEC has the following requests for help:

1. A Fall Autobody Skills Camp through SaskPolytechnic – we would really appreciate having SAAR help us with instructor funding as you have in the past.  Approximate cost would be $2500.

1. I believe that we have a Fall “THINK – Automotive” event also planned with Crestview Chrysler (Capitol Group).  Obviously, just encouraging your membership to consider events such as these would be much appreciated.  Any chance that we can get our students in to see the various aspects of how a car dealership works would be beneficial for us. (and you!)

1. Consideration from your membership for summer Saskatchewan Youth Internship Programs (SYIP supports) would also be much appreciated.  We have a paperwork deadline of June 19th this year for Apprenticeship 20A and 20B, and Apprenticeship 30 A and 30 B credits for every 100 hours that a student works (paid by dealership) during the summer.  This is a six-week program that should see students mentored in the Autobody and Automotive Tech industries within a dealership.  We had ONE position last year for our students.  I would love to see that increase to meet the demands of your industry and our students.  We also work very closely with SATCC to provide opportunities for SYIP students to work under the guidance of red seal journey people as part of this program.  We cannot replenish red seals in our province without efforts to mentor and give students an opportunity to get their “foot in the door”, so-to-speak.  We open registrations for this program up on April 1 and run that until April 17 for students.  We look actively for employers from beginning of March to mid-May to accommodate students’ wishlists for employment opportunities.  
2. We would also love the opportunity to do a Spring Autobody Skills Camp if the instructors at Sask Polytechnic in Regina can accommodate the demand.  (Again, $2500 for approximate costs). (February/March 2027)

Saskatchewan’s Only High School
Auto Body Program

Theran Bloudoff is the teacher that makes this program thrive in Moose Jaw and his biggest challenge is the lack of funding for the skills trades programs. As cutbacks occur in the education field it is programs like this that feel the pinch. Last year his total budget was $10,000 and this year it is basically the same but with increased costs.There is pressure to reduce expenditures  but businesses like 3M, the Lift Auto Group, Arctic Auto and Color Compass have helped out with supplies and equipment the last couple of years to help offset some of these extra costs.  This program needs our support, not just financially but we need to advocate on behalf of programs like this otherwise we will lose them.

SAAR can contact the minister responsible for Education but if each of you can contact your MLA and promote the trade programs especially the one at Peacock it would help immensely.

Check out this newspaper article about the Moose Jaw Auto Body program that was done after our training event there last year:

https://discovermoosejaw.com/articles/last-autobody-shop-in-the-province-peacock-students-build-skills-in-now-unique-classes

Don’t forget to help SAAR meet the needs of these amazing programs by signing up to give a monthly donation or to do a lump sum directly to the program of your choice. Do do a monthly donation, click on the image below.

  Tom Bissonnette 
Executive Director
306-229-5254
tom@saskautorepairers.com
saskautorepairers.com