Jeannot says college exit could effect retainment
March 10, 2025, 3:32 pm
Kara Kinna
Kyle Jeannot, the owner of Jeannot Plumbing and Heating, says he was shocked when he heard Southeast College was pulling out of Moosomin. Jeannot, who took the electrical course himself, says the lack of a campus or electrical program will likely have an effect on retainment in Moosomin.
“If I didn’t take the course here and went to the city, it’s a 50 per cent chance that I would have come back,” he says.
“I think it will have an effect in terms of keeping people in the area. Yes we do benefit at Jeannot Electric, we’ve hired seven people from there over about 10 years, which has been great because they have their first year and they know what they are doing, but I think the big effect of not having that in Moosomin is that you are just pushing people out of town. If they want to go to school for a cheaper cost, now there is no cheaper cost. They can go to Estevan or Weyburn maybe.
“You can live at home with mom and dad and your tuition is dirt cheap compared to the same course in Regina, like probably a third of the price.
“I saw value in it. I took it myself. It’s a lot of hands on. It’s good experience, you know what you are doing when you go into the field. I always liked it because I got to spend a few hours in there, I used to sneak in there and visit with the students and got to see who was there and that helped with the hiring process.
“If you can get a job locally, you already have your first year, you don’t have to worry about moving around, and you are already in town, then your chance of staying here is greater.”
Students in the electrical program took their Level 1 in Moosomin before taking their Levels 2, 3 and 4 in Moose Jaw, however Jeannot says the big benefit of doing Level 1 in Moosomin is that you can get a job locally, and your chance of coming back to that job is higher if you have already started with someone.
“I think it helped retain people because if you can get a job here and take your first year here, you are probably not going to leave,” he says.
Jeannot says the college simply should have been looking at offering more courses in Moosomin if their campus was not being used. He also says he thinks low enrollment in the electrical program was just a phase.
“I was kind of shocked, just surprised. I know enrollment has been low in electrical, but on the other hand, look outside the box and figure out if you need to be offering health care and some other programs,” he says. “They offered plumbing once and that was years ago, I’d say at least 10 or 12 years ago. There are numerous other things they could be offering. Maybe they need to look at an LPN program or continuing care aid. It seems like they were not looking.
“I think with the electrical it was just a phase, right now you have a lot of kids wanting to go to university but at other times you have a lot of kids interested in the trades. I think if they kept on with it, in a few more years there could have been a waiting list to get into it.
“I think you could have first year plumbing or carpentry or automotive as well. Everyone in town is looking for employees, there are help wanted ads everywhere. Does the hospital need workers? Do they need LPNs? They’ve had courses out of town where people are driving to get their LPN. Why not have it here?
“I think they just need to open their eyes and look at different venues. If they don’t have enrolment and are worrying about making ends meet they need to look at other options.
“They have the building for it, and they have the empty classrooms.”
Jeannot says he used to use the college for other courses as well, but those are no longer being offered.
“We used to get our fall arrest, first aid and CPR through them,” he says.
“When we need lift training now we get a company out of Regina that comes out. There is no reason why they couldn’t phone every contractor in town and say we are doing lift training and fall arrest these three days of the week and try to fill it up. I guarantee they would fill it up.”
He says the college has never approached him or consulted him about what programs he as a business owner and tradesperson could use in Moosomin.
