(Quebec) Website and visit of entrepreneurs to classrooms: Minister of Labor Jean Boulet announced a series of measures so that “as many people as possible graduate as part of the Construction Training Offensive” work on construction sites.
“What I am announcing is so that we can ensure that all or almost all of those who begin a course with a financial incentive from public funds meet the objective of the Training Offensive under construction,” Mr. Boulet said Thursday during a press conference at the École des métiers de la construction de Québec.
Last fall, Quebec launched an “offensive” to recruit 4,000 to 5,000 workers in certain construction trades (carpenters, excavator operators, heavy equipment operators, tinsmiths and refrigeration workers), by setting up training accelerated by four to six months.
Students receive a scholarship of $750 per week during their training.
Criticism has been expressed because Quebec is not going to force them to work in the construction industry, as it did for beneficiary attendants, for example. Mr. Boulet believes that this was not realistic.
He believes he will achieve the same goal with these initiatives to ensure that students find a place in the construction industry.
85% retention
The Quebec Construction Commission will therefore ensure that industry representatives can meet the cohorts and will communicate with “employers to inform them on ways to approach the future workforce.”
She also created a web page, “jechoseislaconstruction”, “which presents, for graduates, the main advantages of working in the industry and information indicating the procedure to follow to obtain an apprentice competency certificate”.
“The Commission will ensure the matching of employers and people who can practice the trades of carpenter, excavator and heavy equipment operator, tinsmith or refrigeration engineer,” said the minister’s office.
With these tools, the minister hopes that there will be strong student retention. “I think we can reasonably anticipate that 85 to 90% will enter the construction industry or related sectors well. The ultimate goal is 100%. You come here to become a carpenter, it’s to work in the construction industry,” said Mr. Boulet.
The CEO of the Association of Construction and Housing Professionals of Quebec, Maxime Rodrigue, who was present at the announcement, hopes that “the greatest number of employees who follow these training courses integrate the construction industry “.
“We will participate in all these activities to facilitate and ensure that these students arrive on the construction sites as quickly as possible. We want to have as many trained employees enter the industry,” he added.