Enterprise Saskatchewan

Enterprise Saskatchewan (ES) Sector Teams are industry-led and typically include key representatives with proven leadership skills and a shared interest in growing the provincial economy. Research, analytical and secretarial support will be provided by Enterprise Saskatchewan staff. 

Sector Teams provide a forum to enhance industry government communication and collaboration in developing policies to build on competitive advantages and reduce barriers to growth to ensure that the province's key economic sectors grow and flourish. The Sector Teams help to clarify the roles of government and other partners in growing each sector. Sector Teams identify goals and performance measurement indicators, and monitor and report on progress in achieving those goals.

Each sector is unique, with some sectors having effective industry associations and existing industry-government partnerships. Enterprise Saskatchewan Sector Teams collaborate with these organizations on common interests, building on rather than duplicating efforts. Enterprise Saskatchewan also works closely with other ministries and agencies that have key sector responsibilities to co-ordinate the Sector Teams.

The over-riding mission of the sector team initiative is to contribute to achieving the goal: Saskatchewan will be seen as a jurisdiction of choice for living, working, investing, and operating a business in the key sectors.

The goal of the sector team process is to encourage government and the private sector to work collaboratively to promote prosperous, growing and sustainable sectors through recommending policies and actions that:

• Reduce and remove disadvantages and barriers to growth
• Build on sector advantages
• Enhance competitiveness and productivity
• Encourage business creation, attraction, retention and growth
• Increase adoption of new technology and processes
• Diversify and build the value-chain to strengthen clusters
• Reduce skills gaps and labour shortages
• Accelerate Aboriginal participation in all sectors
• Increase exports of goods and services
• Identify infrastructure challenges

The Enterprise Saskatchewan Act (Act) established the legislative authority of the ES Board of Directors to create sector teams. While the Act names 14 individual sectors in the legislation, 18 sector teams were established for sectors of Saskatchewan’s economy.

In its second year of operation, ES has identified logistical, efficiency and resource issues with 18 sector teams and three issues councils.

ES proposed the consolidation of some sector teams in order to reduce the number of teams from the current 18 to eight, with each team increasing its number up to around 12 participants.

ES will organize and initiate sector teams in the following areas:

• Arts, Culture and Tourism
• Infrastructure and Services
• Science and Technology
• Manufacturing
• Agri-business
• Energy
• Mining and Forestry
• Transportation and Logistics

The consolidation accomplishes the following objectives:

• There will be closer contact between the sector teams, ES staff and other ministries, Crown Corporations and agencies who may be impacted by sector team / issues councils recommendations;
• It reduces the overall cost of the sector team process; and
• It allows Enterprise Saskatchewan to better deploy resources in order to provide more focus on project work.

The ES Board of Directors has reviewed and endorsed a reduction in sector teams.

The intent of the Act will continue to be met through team consolidation even though some names will be combined.