The Yukon government is exploring how a renewed funding agreement with non-profit Mitacs could help the most troubled areas of the Yukon’s health-care sector, according to Premier Ranj Pillai.
During an event held at Yukon University to announce renewed funding for Mitacs, Pillai pointed to “emergencies in communities” around the “opioid crisis” and generational trauma that could benefit from the partnership.
Through a renewed deal, which is in its fifth year, the Yukon government will put $80,000 towards Mitacs to assist companies in attracting and keeping talent to grow their businesses. The deal connects government, industry and researchers in the form of internships in the North for university and college students.
Pillai indicated discussions with Mitacs have happened in the past and will keep happening around looking at areas within the health-care system where there’s “real difficulty to find capacity.”
He has been working with the health minister on building capacity across the territory’s mental health and wellness hubs.
Pillai wonders if it’s possible to work with Mitacs to identify individuals in post-secondary focused on specific trauma supports and addictions treatment to come here and do their internship.
“Can we bring a number of folks that can come here, they can do their internship, they get an opportunity to be in the Yukon community, they get that sense of experience by being in a Yukon community, and then is there an opportunity to potentially retain them later?” he asked.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
