Lack of capacity at Hydro: no paid training to become a lineman

In what appears to be a lack of coordination with Hydro-Québec, the government went back on its promise to create accelerated, paid training for linemen.

• Read also: Girard Budget: Quebec is already adding accelerated construction training

“There will be no accelerated training for linemen,” confirmed to Newspaper the office of the Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet.

The announcement of the addition of this program to the list of rapid and paid training included in the government’s “offensive” to recruit workers in various construction trades dated from the budget, tabled less than two months ago. .

Mr. Boulet’s office did not specify the reasons for this change, but indicated that the amounts provided in the budget will be used to “increase the capacity” of the only two schools that offer the DEP in line assembly. in Quebec, while this employment group “is in deficit”.

Accommodation capacity

Without saying whether Hydro-Québec has asked the government to reverse its decision, a spokesperson clarified that the state-owned company has no shortage of linemen at present, while agreeing that the needs will be greater. over the next few years.

Furthermore, Hydro-Québec also has a limited capacity to integrate linemen fresh out of school, as the organization’s executive vice-president, Claudine Bouchard, raised in a parliamentary committee earlier this week. .

“Each person who arrives from school must be supervised by a person who is fully authorized to work on the network [ce qui prend cinq ans]», She declared in response to an MP who pleaded for training to be given in more establishments.

“Even if I train 200 people per year in secondary schools, my capacity to accommodate my teams, for me, to do 1 for 1 in companionship, is not infinite,” added M^me Bouchard.

In its 2035 action plan, Hydro-Québec estimates that various infrastructure projects will require approximately 35,000 construction workers each year until 2035.

Infatuation

Remember that nearly 47,000 registration requests were sent to the government for these four to six month training courses paid at $25 per hour and leading to a certificate of professional studies (AEP). Classes started at the beginning of the year.

Quebec also offers graduation scholarships to new apprentice workers in programs leading to a professional studies diploma (DEP) in the five targeted fields (carpenter-joiner, construction equipment operator, tinsmith or refrigeration engineer). .