SaskTel provides opportunities for post-secondary business students

Posted May 18, 1999


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 18, 1999
99-05-08-CO

SASKTEL PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR POST SECONDARY BUSINESS STUDENTS

The University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina and Saskatchewan Indian
Federated College today announced the Venture Management Competition, an
exciting new opportunity for business students in Saskatchewan.

Sponsored by SaskTel, the competition for university business students in
their final year focuses on consumer and industrial uses of
telecommunications products and services.

Fittingly, the announcement was delivered jointly from the province's two
universities through a linked video teleconference.

The competition offers a yearly $19,000 prize pool open to students at the
University of Regina Faculty of Administration, the University of
Saskatchewan College of Commerce, and the Saskatchewan Indian Federated
College School of Business and Public Administration. In addition, there is
$6,000 a year for business related programs. SaskTel has committed to
funding the contest for five years.

U of R President David Barnard said he welcomes the support for the
universities by SaskTel. "We are here to serve the Saskatchewan community.
This partnership is a perfect example. It provides a real learning
opportunity for our students and may result in enhancing SaskTel's ability
to provide services to its customers."

U of S President George Ivany said, "This partnership will specifically
benefit the students by providing them with the opportunity to converge and
apply the business and science knowledge that they have acquired in their
undergraduate education."

The business students' projects will include feasibility studies, business
plans and / or prototypes for telecommunication products and services not
currently available on a commercial basis.

The top five projects in both Regina and Saskatoon will be awarded $750 in
each fall and winter semester. A finalists prize pool will be chosen from
the 20 semifinalists. First place will receive $2,500, second place $1,000
and third place $500.

SaskTel Pioneers will provide volunteer mentoring to students taking part in
the competition.

SaskTel may also assist the students in the potential commercialization of
their ideas either directly or by matching students with appropriate
Saskatchewan-based technology companies. Assistance may also come in the
form of providing placement opportunities for students in their respective
programs.

"This SaskTel program is one way to encourage students to consider career
opportunities in the telecommunications industry and to build awareness of
entrepreneurship as a career option," Paul Dudgeon of SIFC told the news
conference. "For the students this is a valuable way to gain experience and
to possibly be rewarded for their efforts."

SaskTel is the leading full service communications company in Saskatchewan,
providing voice, data, Internet, text and messaging services over a fibre
optic-based, 100 per cent digital network, as well as cellular, paging,
wireless data and FleetNet 800 service through SaskTel Mobility.


For more information, contact:

Prof. Brooke Dobni
College of Commerce
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966- 8442