This text is part of the special booklet Trades, professions and careers
While Quebec continues to face a labor shortage, what training is the most promising? The Assistant Director General of the Center de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys, Paul St-Onge, gives an overview of the jobs of the future.
1. Auxiliary nurse
The health, assistance and nursing care program aims to meet the high demand in Quebec, he explains. Auxiliary nurses watch over patients by monitoring their vital signs and their diet, while administering their medication and changing their dressings.
The profession remains in demand throughout the province, underlines Mr. St-Onge. “The government prioritized it and even gave dedicated scholarships to attract more students,” he says.
2. Beneficiary attendant
You must have passed your 3e secondary school to be able to start studies in Assistance to the person in establishment and at home. Graduates then provide hygienic care to patients in their homes, hospitals, or long-term care homes.
According to Mr. St-Onge, the health crisis has highlighted the importance of the work of beneficiary attendants. “They have increased wages, there is a pension plan,” he lists.
3. Electrician
This DEP allows students to install, repair and modify electrical equipment, both in residences, businesses and businesses as well as on construction sites. “The salaries are excellent,” says Mr. St-Onge. On average, an electrician earns $30.80 per hour.
He specifies that because of the housing stock requiring maintenance, particularly in schools, the profession is in high demand.
4. Plumber and pipe fitter
With an average wage of $28.45 per hour, plumbers install and maintain plumbing in homes and businesses. According to Mr. St-Onge, the trade will be in high demand over the next few years, particularly because of the installation of electric heating systems to replace those that run on fossil fuels.
5. Refrigeration mechanic
Graduates of the refrigeration program install, maintain, and repair refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
With an average salary of $33.40 per hour, these mechanics are very few to work in Quebec. “There are few trained people and the needs are extreme,” explains Mr. St-Onge. “It’s expensive to train refrigeration mechanics. It takes state-of-the-art equipment,” he says.
6. IT Support Agent
Configuring, installing and updating operating systems and computer software is the day-to-day work of computer support agents.
“There are needs everywhere,” summarizes Mr. St-Onge. He cites as an example the forty employees in the field for the CSS Marguerite-Bourgeoys.
7. Elevator mechanic
“There is an incredible scarcity of labour,” exclaims Mr. St-Onge. Only one public establishment in Quebec, the École des métiers du Sud-Ouest-de-Montréal, offers training for this DEP. This diploma will allow students to install and maintain elevators, but also escalators, goods lifts and moving walkways.
8. Building drawing
The tasks consist of drawing plans for residences and structures based on specifications or sketches from an architect.
“Some can then continue their studies and become an architect”, says Mr. St-Onge about this profession which will be “always popular and sought after”.
9. Driver
Three diplomas — bus driving, construction machinery driving and crane driving — train students in trades that are all highly sought after by employers, according to Mr. St-Onge.
The first training is a certificate of professional studies (AEP) and allows you to drive public transport service buses or school buses. Some regions have also experienced a shortage of drivers at the start of the school year.
The second is intended to train operators of heavy machinery used in road repairs. Finally, crane operators operate cranes and mechanical shovels. “There will be needs because all of our infrastructures need to be redone and maintained,” explains Mr. St-Onge.
10. Miner
The DEP in mineral extraction is offered in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec regions. “The people who go to work in the mines, they earn salaries above $100,000 a year, especially when the ore is expensive,” says Mr. St-Onge.
According to him, miners will have several job opportunities given the current exploration for rare earths in the province and the presence of minerals. “We have them in the Canadian and Quebec underground and we want to extract them,” he says.
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.