New measures affecting workers, employers, and the associations came into force on November 30, 2024, under the Act to modernize the construction industry.

The changes are aimed at providing greater workforce mobility throughout Québec, construction sites that are more inclusive, new criteria for access to competency certificates, and more-flexible rules regarding the functioning of the Carnet référence construction.

Measures concerning provincial mobility and workforce diversity

An employer may now have a person work outside of his or her region of residence, throughout Québec, if this person:

• Holds a journeyman or occupation competency certificate and has worked at least 15,000 hours in the industry, without regard for the number of hours worked for that employer
• Holds a competency certificate and has worked for that employer a minimum of
   
  
  • 750 hours in the case of a man (no longer 1,500 hours) 
  • 400 hours in the case of a woman (no longer 500 hours)
  • 400 hours in the case of a First Nations person or Inuit or a representative of the diversity of Québec society 

The employer then becomes a “preferential employer.”

To take advantage of the 400 hours measure and all other measures dedicated to them, First Nations people and Inuit and representatives of the diversity of Québec society must voluntarily identify themselves as such to the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ).  

Measures concerning access to competency certificates 

The CCQ may now grant:

• An apprentice competency certificate: when a person shows that he or she has acquired, in work experience and vocational training, a total number of hours equivalent to at least 35% of the duration of apprenticeship in the trade in question (except the trade of crane operator). In effect, recognized training hours are now also considered in the calculation of the 35% hours, and no longer solely hours of work experience.
• An occupation competency certificate:
    
  • When a person has 750 hours of work experience performed during pertinent activities not subject to Act R-20
  • When a person has graduated from the course leading to the occupation of line worker, without having to pass the Cours de connaissance générale de l’industrie de la construction (CCGIC) beforehand. In effect, this person is exempted from the annual process of registration for the CCGIC but will have to pass it in the future to have his or her certificate renewed.

Measures concerning the Carnet référence construction

New rules for how the Carnet functions allow:

• Holders or a referral permit to contact an employer when that employer makes a declaration of workforce need, unless the employer refuses 
• Employers to automatically obtain access to the professional profile, training profile, and training hours of workers referred by the CCQ 
• The CCQ to generate workforce referral lists composed solely of people available (who are not currently employed) 
• Certain Indigenous nations and communities to obtain a permit so that they too can submit workforce referral lists 

Act to modernize the construction industry

As a reminder, on May 23, 2204 the Assemblée nationale adopted the Act to modernize the construction industry, which includes 40 regulatory measures that amend Act R-20.

To learn about all the measures currently in force and those to come, visit www.ccq.org/modernization.