I am more than halfway through my executive internship with Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA), a Treasury Board Crown Corporation responsible for the distribution, regulation, management and operation of liquor and gaming across the province. So far it has been a rewarding experience. At SLGA, I work under the “Policy and Legislation” branch; my mentor the Vice President of the Corporate Services division along with other staff in the organization, have done a good job ensuring that I get the best internship experience that I could have ever wished for. Based on their wealth of experience, they provide me with vital insight into the general workings of their organization and its work environment. So far I have been exposed to decision making processes at the executive level by attending high-stakes meetings within the organization.
Over the past few months, I have not only had the opportunity to attend several executive committee meetings within the organization, but I have also been privileged to attend the standing committee on Public Accounts (PAC) as well as SLGA’s budget review meeting with Treasury Board. Being an international student, these meetings have given me a better understanding of the structure of the Canadian Parliamentary system and the budget planning process in Saskatchewan.
I am currently working on designing an education program for commercial permittees aimed at enhancing knowledge and compliance of liquor policy and regulations in the province. I am also working on the social reference pricing of alcohol products in the province; this goes a long way in encouraging responsible drinking habit in the province. In the past, I have designed a customer consultation workshop plan on product allocation and I have participated in a compliance audit exercise for two government owned liquor stores. It is also no longer news that the present government seeks to privatize 40 government owned liquor stores upon re-election this April. Well, this announcement came with lots of changes here at SLGA. I feel opportune to be here on my internship term, especially when lots of changes are being made; having to observe how ideas are thought through and transformed into decisions and also watching these decisions get implemented is absolutely amazing.