There are 'a few people who took the opportunity to take courses without having the intention of working in the industry,' premier admits
Quebec Premier François Legault is under fire for a $300-million fast-track construction training program that has fallen short of its goals.
The initiative, launched last year to address the province’s growing labour shortage in the construction industry, aimed to train 4,000 to 5,000 new workers. The program – announced by Legault last fall – was designed to offer accelerated training courses for aspiring construction workers.
Participants were paid $750 a week during their four- to six-month programs, according to a report from The Canadian Press (CP).
To date, 3,329 students have registered for the fast-track program, and 2,551 have graduated with a diploma, according to the office of Labour Minister Jean Boulet
However, there was no requirement for them to pursue work in the construction industry after graduation. Currently, only 1,251 of the program’s graduates are working in construction, including 1,017 who are new to the industry, says CP.
Quebec’s construction commission estimates the industry needs 17,000 new workers per year, an increase of 1,000 since last year’s forecast, according to a previous report from the Montreal Gazette.
Recently, in a bid to address the growing need for skilled labour in the construction industry, Quebec introduced a series of construction trades camps aimed at attracting and training new workers.
On Tuesday, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon accused the Quebec government of creating an “all-inclusive, all-paid package” that students can use “to go and renovate (their) cottage or renovate (their) basement.”
The program is a “fiasco” from a “spendthrift” government that “lacks rigour and preparation,” said St-Pierre Plamondon in the CP report posted on Global News.
Also, Liberal Leader Marc Tanguay said it was a “poorly designed program that caused millions (of dollars) in waste.”
Legault defends Quebec’s construction program
However, Legault said that the “vast majority” of students who participated in the program will end up working in construction. He also acknowledged there are “a few people who took the opportunity to take courses without having the intention of working in the industry.”
Legault also said it’s too early to judge the result of the program.
“We’ve been able to implement programs quickly, without too much bureaucracy,” he said, according to the CP report. “Let’s be careful before throwing out any numbers.”
Graduates have until December 2025 to obtain certificates from the commission, CP reported, citing a statement from Boulet’s office.
Also, workers don’t have to be certified for every type of construction work, according to the commission.
Canada’s construction industry will be in need of hundreds of thousands of workers by 2029, according to a previous report.
