The Quebec government is injecting $120 million into construction industry to meet demand

$120 million for construction The Quebec government is injecting $120 million into the construction industry to recruit 11,000 workers a year.

MONTREAL — The Quebec government is injecting $120 million into the construction industry so that it can respond to the acceleration of infrastructure projects announced by Bill 66.

"The sector is doing well, but it must respond to the demand that the government is preparing to make to revive the economy," explained Treasury Board president Sonia LeBel, at a news conference.

The plan includes a series of announcements to help businesses grow and increase their productivity.

But the government also wants to tackle the problem of labour scarcity in the sector. It wants to add 11,000 workers a year to the industry.

"What we're seeing is that there will be a lot of retirements in the next five years, there's a drop in enrolment that was seen before the pandemic in the vocational training centres," explained Labour Minister Jean Boulet.

"We want to ensure that in this sector, which is crucial to economic recovery, we have enough workers."

Efforts will also be made to retain existing employees, especially under-represented groups such as women, immigrants and Indigenous people.

Boulet noted that 54 per cent of female workers leave the sector after five years.

He also assured that the government would not compromise on the quality of the workforce.

"This is done in a context where you go in gradually, there is an apprenticeship that leads to qualification exams before becoming a journeyman," he said.

For its part, the CCQ will initiate a campaign to better retain the workforce and must submit a plan to the government by Aug. 1.

UNION CRITICISM

The FTQ-Construction union is having a hard time digesting the government's announcement, which, according to the union, does not get to the heart of the problem.

"They are bringing in exceptional measures to counter the labour shortage, but that is not the problem. The problem is the working conditions," said FTQ constrution general manager Eric Boisjoly. "For us, what happened today is unacceptable."

Boisjoly says the government's approach won't work because he points out that it's the employees who get fast-track training who leave first.

Quebec Provincial Building Trades Council (International) president Michel Trepanier agrees.

"Our organization has been saying for many years that retention is one of the main issues in construction. Until this is addressed, investments to attract workers will be ineffective," he said in an emailed statement.

WELCOME NEWS FOR THE INDUSTRY

While unions criticised the government announcement, the industry welcomed the new measures.

The Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ) welcomed the government's announcement, which will allow "construction companies to have access to a larger pool of labour, while having faster training that is better adapted to the new realities of the industry."

For its part, the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l'habitation du Québec (APCHQ) believes that this is "good news to relieve, in the short term, our industry, but also to ensure the balance and sustainability of businesses in our sector."

However, the APCHQ believes that there is still "a lot of work to be done" to attract and retain labour in the long term.

"It is certain that we will continue to work to find concrete and viable solutions with the government and our various partners in order to make further progress on this issue," said Francois Bernier, senior vice-president of public affairs at the APCHQ.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2021.