The eight regulatory measures that will increase the availability of workers on construction sites in Québec come into effect on April 26, 2021.

Their implementation now makes it possible to:

• To have experience acquired outside of construction be recognized for joining the industry by allowing the issuance of an apprentice competency certificate to all individuals who submit a relevant record of recognition of professional experience equivalent to 35% of apprenticeship in the trade.
• To hire a larger number of apprentices by allowing, for each journeyperson, the on-site supervision of a second apprentice if that apprentice is in the final apprenticeship period for his or her trade.
• To generate more multiskilling on construction sites by allowing apprentices to perform residual tasks attached to their trade. 
• To accelerate access to the status of journeyperson for all apprentices by allowing them to be admitted to the qualification examination when 85% of their apprenticeship hours have been completed.
• To accelerate access to the status of journeyperson for graduates by enhancing by one and a half the value of the diploma (DEP or DEC) for progress in the apprenticeship.
• To allow work on construction sites during studies by issuing apprentice competency certificates to students while they are attending school to give them practical experience in construction.
• To facilitate access for graduates of programs leading to the specialized occupations of land surveyor instrument person, blaster-driller, and diver by issuing them an occupation competency certificate without their having to go through the random draw for the Cours de connaissance générale de l’industrie de la construction.
• To encourage the next generation of contractors by allowing each employer to obtain two exemptions from holding a competency certificate for child of employer, instead of just one.

In recent months, the CCQ and the employer and union associations proposed major regulatory changes to better confront the challenges of recruiting workers for the construction industry. Labour scarcity on construction sites is explained by ageing of the population, combined with continuing high economic activity in the industry. 

The CCQ’s board of directors, composed of the employer and union associations, has also resolved that the measures should be evaluated at most 24 months after they come into force, on the basis of a methodology that will be approved beforehand. Therefore, all of the effects and impacts of these changes will be carefully studied and may be subject to adjustments as needed.

For information on the application of each of these measures, please visit www.ccq.org/labourscarcity