By Robin MacLennan
CaDCR staff writer
With the Province of Quebec short about 6,500 construction workers, Premier François Legault has announced accelerated and paid training for training programs.
The goal is to recruit 4,000 to 5,000 new construction workers to the industry who will be able to work on construction sites by sometime next year, Premier François Legault told reporters on Oct. 30.
With major infrastructure plans including building new schools, revamping seniors’ residences and Hydro-Québec projects, Legault said new measures will cost the province more than $300 million.
“There aren’t enough young people choosing professional training for all sorts of good and bad reasons,” Legault said. “If we want to reduce the wealth disparity between us and our neighbours, it takes more well-paying jobs.”
Participants will receive a weekly salary of $750 per week during the four-to-six-month programs which will focus on carpenter-joiners, tinsmiths, mechanical excavator operators, heavy-equipment operators and refrigeration mechanics.
“Of course this announcement today will help the housing problem, but it’s not the only problem. We also have a lot of bureacracy. It takes a lot of time in certain cities to start building these houses, but of course it will help.
“It will help also building new schools, new hospitals, new electric transportation.”
Registration is open until Dec. 15 for certificate programs starting in January.
“I am very proud to announce this major construction training offensive. We have ambitious projects to meet the needs of Quebecers, such as housing, schools and sports infrastructures, and it takes people to build all of that,” Legault said. “If we want to reduce the labour deficit with qualified workers, we must go through training and make it more attractive.”
