$120,000 per year. It’s the pay check that you can get with a diploma of vocational studies (DEP) in the construction industry, which fuels overtime.
“Despite the rise in the interest rate and the more marked drop anticipated in the residential sector, demand remains very high in the institutional, commercial, industrial or in civil engineering and roadwork”, illustrates Guillaume Houle, spokesperson for the Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ).
Even though housing starts were down 6% last month compared to last year, the appetite for renovation is still strong, according to the Association des professionels de la construction et de l’habitation du Québec ( APCHQ).
“Two-thirds (65%) of homeowners surveyed believe they are likely or very likely to complete renovations worth at least $5,000 within three years, virtually the same as 2022 (66%) », was able to observe the APCHQ in a recent survey carried out with RénoAssistance.
Paid jobs
Result ? The overheated industry needs arms. Current workers can easily inflate their wages with overtime.
Refrigeration mechanic, electrician, heavy machinery mechanic… in-demand trades like these offer excellent salaries and attractive conditions.
“You have to get rid of the stereotype of hard work. In my job, there is meticulousness. Open-mindedness and creativity are there,” says Jonathan Ormandy, a 33-year-old refrigeration specialist with Services de Réfrigération R&S inc.
Last year, he earned more than $120,000 with his overtime.
Its boss, Antoine Rivard, who is the general manager of the third-generation family business, says that the job of refrigeration mechanic is interesting since it involves mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity, plumbing and welding.
“A first-year apprentice will earn between $40,000 and $50,000. It can then go to $130,000 or $140,000, depending on the overtime,” said the man who is looking for refrigeration mechanics in his team in Gatineau.
“30 years ago, I did a DEP in electricity for 1,350 hours. Today is 1800 hours,” shares Étienne Perron, electrician at Britton Electric.
Francis Halin’s photo
Étienne Perron, electrician at Britton Electric.
In the company, his colleagues also reach $120,000 a year.
“There are a lot of high-paying jobs. It’s lucrative,” notes Gregoria Modolo, director general of the ACQ, metropolitan region.
Operators at $200,000
Last Monday, The newspaper stressed that the electrification of the economy will pay off for those who make the leap into these sectors of the future.
But the construction industry is no exception. There is a shovelful of very well paid trades such as heavy machinery operator.
“They are going to make between $100,000 and $120,000 in town. In the North, they will easily get $150,000 or $200,000,” illustrates Cédric Brunet, civil engineering superintendent at NRJ, with 600 employees.
New reinforcements
Last Thursday, at the Chantier de l’emploi de Montréal aiming to present these often misunderstood trades, candidates arrived by the dozen at the kiosks.
Crossed at the show, Lounis Djamel, 35, who arrived in Quebec barely six months ago, showed a broad smile when The newspaper approached him.
“In my country, I was an electrical engineer. I worked a lot in the field of electricity in Algeria,” he shared.
“I’m waiting for an interview with the Britton company right there,” he concluded with his eyes wide open.
Last year, the civil engineering and roadwork sector flirted with a record number of 38.5 million hours worked, a jump of 2% compared to 2021, according to data from the Association de la construction du Québec. (ACQ).