Skilled Trades in Quebec

Helmets to Hardhats Canada

Apprenticeship Training in Quebec

Twenty-five trades and approximately thirty occupations are practised in Québec. This link of trades and occupations gives a short description of each of the 25 trades, and of 6 occupations (blaster, lineman, diver, surveyor, welder and pipe welder), presented in individual files. Each file describes the tasks in a trade or occupation, its training programs, and the skills and interests required for those who wish to practise it. The job prospects and apprenticeship system for each trade and occupation are also included. Finally, tables give the number of workers in the respective trade or occupation, the wages, the number of apprentices who join the industry, the average age of the labour force, and the number of employers hiring workers in that trade or occupation.

Competency Certificates

The Quebec construction industry has adopted criteria for hiring workers to which construction companies must conform. The construction industry favours access for graduates. However, if there is a labour shortage, the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) must allow access for non-graduates. In these cases, specific conditions must be met. To encourage access to the construction industry by women and Aboriginals and to increase their numbers on construction sites, special measures have been implemented.
Source: La Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ)

The fundamental principle is competency, acquired through training and/or on-the-job experience. To demonstrate this competency and to work in the construction industry falling under the Act Respecting Labour Relations, Vocational Training, and Workforce Management in the Construction Industry (Act R-20) , a worker must hold a competency certificate. There are three categories:

Journeyman

For people who have demonstrated that they are qualified in one or another of the 25 trades;

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Apprentice

For people admitted to a trade apprenticeship that lasts, depending on the trade, for 1 to 5 apprenticeship periods of 2,000 hours each;

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Occupation

For people working on construction sites as a labourer or specialized labourer.


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