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By Curtis Galbraith

Agriculture

Province offering incentives to vet. clinics to hire students

Mar 13, 2026 | 1:52 PM

The provincial government says it is putting $250,000 over two years into an idea meant to get veterinary students to stay in rural Alberta.

This money is for the Veterinary Student Recruitment and Retention Pilot Grant Program. 

It is intended to get rural clinics to hire summer students and to get those students to practice in those communities.

Clinics can now submit applications for the program. The ones that are eligible can qualify for up to $10,000 to help pay one student to work at the clinic from May through August.

“Rural Alberta depends on accessible, quality veterinary care. Creating meaningful opportunities for students in rural practice helps build lasting connections and supports a strong, sustainable workforce. This is an important step toward addressing the veterinary shortage where it’s felt most,” says Alberta Veterinary Medical Association president Dr. Jami Frederick in a news release from the province.

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Alberta has had a shortage of veterinarians for several years. The province says the job vacancy rate is almost 17 per cent in Alberta, and goes up to 19 per cent in rural areas.

A 2021 report estimated a need for 1600 new vets. in Alberta by 2035.

The money for the program is coming from the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5 billion initiative funded by the federal, provincial and territorial governments.