SaskTel and Yorkton Regional High School, a part of Good Spirit School Division, today announced a partnership that culminates in a newly created Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will serve to advance their joint efforts to increase and promote learning and career opportunities for local youths.

The MOU outlines the responsibilities and commitments of both SaskTel and Yorkton Regional High School in developing and delivering electronics and Information Technology programming, with a specific focus on telecommunications related course material.

"This will be the fourth high school with which SaskTel has officially partnered," says Ron Styles, SaskTel President and CEO. "It is a natural fit as we share many of the same philosophies and goals with YRHS, we believe by integrating community and real-world applications in the classroom and by providing students hands on opportunities to explore their interests, we are giving them the foundation they need to be successful."

Yorkton Regional High School Principal Mike Haczkewicz echoes Styles' remarks, "This partnership is a win-win for all parties involved. Providing our students with real-world applications in the classroom is the perfect strategy to engage them with their learning. As educators we often find ourselves searching for real connections with the outside world, SaskTel is providing our students with that connection.  We are thankful for their commitment to education and in particular for their interest in establishing this partnership that I see as beneficial to all parties involved."

SaskTel will contribute trained resources to assist in delivering the material, ensuring the hands on interactive learning that is imperative to YRHS programming is maintained.  Both partners will work together to place students in an internship program working at SaskTel that will allow them to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in a real world setting, as well as gain valuable work experience while exploring future career options.

About SaskTel

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation (SaskTel) is the leading full service communications provider in Saskatchewan, with $1.2 billion in annual revenue and over 1.4 million customer connections including over 607,000 wireless accesses, 492,000 wireline network accesses, 250,000 internet accesses and 100,000 maxTV subscribers.  SaskTel offers a wide range of communications products and services including competitive voice, data, internet, entertainment, security monitoring, messaging, cellular, wireless data and directory services. In addition, SaskTel International offers software solutions and project consulting in countries around the world.  SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 4,000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). Visit SaskTel at www.sasktel.com.

About Good Spirit School Division

The Good Spirit School Division strives to provide safe, caring, welcoming schools for children.  Our primary objective is to foster a respectful learning environment to achieve student success and well-being in each of our 28 public schools throughout East-Central Saskatchewan.  Our values of belonging, respect, responsibility, learning and nurturing ensures "Students Come First". Visit us at www.gssd.ca; contact 306-786-5500 or 1-866-390-0773.

For media inquiries only, please contact:

Tara Tibeau, SaskTel Manager of External Communication
  306 777 4548
tara.tibeau@sasktel.com

Lynel Martinuk, GSSD Communications Coordinator
  306-786-5501
  lynel.lmartinuk@gssd.ca