In the construction industry, there are three types of competency certificate:
- Apprentice competency certificate (ACC), for people apprenticing in a trade that, depending on the trade, involves one to five apprenticeship periods of 2,000 hours each;
- Journeyman competency certificate (JCC), for people who have demonstrated that they are qualified in one or another of the construction trades;
- Occupation, for people working on construction sites as a labourer or specialized labourer.
The Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) also recognizes qualification certificates for certain trades issued by the Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MTESS).
Although the construction industry favours access of graduates to construction sites, there may be periods when the CCQ allows entry of candidates due to the state of the labour pools. In these cases, specific conditions must be met.
In addition, to encourage access to the construction industry for women and Aboriginals and to increase their numbers on construction sites, special measures have been implemented.