“There are certain traps we shouldn’t fall into,” said a construction developer who welcomes Quebec’s efforts to attract workers with an accelerated program but worries about the impact on the quality of training.
“We are shortening certain training hours. So as an employer, can I expect the quality to remain the same? » asks Simon Berlinguet, co-owner of the Bastio carpentry workshop in Saint-Hyacinthe, which employs between five and eight carpenters.
“We are under a lot of pressure regarding the quality of our work,” he adds.
According to Simon Berlinguet, future training must be solid.
“Will the Professional Studies Diploma (DEP) disappear? Because if people have the opportunity to do something quickly with the subsidy…,” he asks.
Accelerated training
On Monday, Le Journal reported that Quebec will launch an offensive to train 4,000 to 5,000 workers to ease labor shortages on construction sites.
To attract new talent, an accelerated course is offered, costing an average of $25 per hour.
“It will bring a lot of people into construction, but what we need right now are journeymen to lead teams,” shared Maxime Beauregard, journeyman carpenter and joiner, brother Simon Berlinguet, co-owner of the company.
Maxime Beauregard, journeyman carpenter, co-owner of Bastio Photo Francis Halin
“We will have weapons, but we may be a little short on competent manpower,” he says.
Last Saturday, Le Journal highlighted that Labor Minister Jean Boulet also wants more foreign temporary workers in the construction sector by emphasizing the recognition of their skills.