Occupation

Occupation

To work in the construction industry in Québec, an individual must obtain the appropriate work permit issued by the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ). The paths to obtaining an occupation competency certificate (OCC) are different depending on the type of candidate.  Read the general conditions, then learn more about the specific conditions for each of the following cases:

Types of occupation candidate:

  • Candidate with a diploma: blaster and driller, line worker, land surveyor instrument person, and diver
  • Candidate with a diploma: welder and pipe welder
  • Candidate entering due to the state of the labour pool
  • Candidate entering through recognition of experience
  • Employer candidate 
  • Holder of a qualification certificate bearing the Red Seal endorsement
  • Candidate abroad (international recruitment)

General conditions for obtaining an occupation competency certificate 

With the exception of employer candidates, candidates must fill out the form Application for registration or modification of identification file and/or choice of union association, which assembles the information required to open their file and allows them to designate the union association that they want to join.

In all cases, candidates must:

Once the application is approved, the competency certificate is sent by mail. However, depending on the circumstances, the CCQ may issue a temporary work permit so that the candidate has quicker access to the site. This work permit is valid only for a limited period, depending on the situation.

  • Candidate with a diploma: blaster and driller, line worker, land surveyor instrument person, and diver
  • Candidate with a diploma: welder and pipe welder
  • Candidate entering due to the state of the labour pool
  • Employer candidate
  • Candidate entering through recognition of experience
  • Candidate abroad (international recruitment)

An individual with a diploma who has successfully completed a study program recognized by the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) in the occupation covered by the application can obtain an occupation competency certificate (OCC). If you have a similar diploma obtained outside of Québec, you must obtain a recognition of acquired competencies  from the Ministère de l'Éducation

You must comply with the general conditions and present the following documentation:

Proof of studies

  • If you graduated from a vocational studies program (DEP) less than 90 days ago, you must provide one of the following documents:
    • Provisional attestation of training (original document or electronic document if the training centre offers this service)
    • Achievement record with mention of DEP (copy accepted)
    • Statement of competencies with mention of DEP (copy accepted)
  • If you have graduated from a college studies program, you must provide the original of a college studies transcript that mentions that you passed the program

Job guarantee

You must present a job guarantee. This guarantee must:

  • Come from an employer registered with the CCQ
  • Be for a duration of at least 150 hours, spread over a period of at most three consecutive months

Required fee

  • You must pay the $100 fee (cheque, postal money order, credit card, debit card, or cash). 

How to submit your file to the CCQ

The form Application for registration or modification of identification file and/or choice of union association and copies of all supporting documents required must be sent by mail to the following address:

Commission de la construction du Québec 
a/s Demande d’obtention d’un certificat de compétence occupation 
Case postale 2030, succursale Chabanel 
Montréal (Québec)  H2N 0C4

Candidates may also go to one of the CCQ’s regional offices with all of their documentation.

If they have already passed the Cours de connaissance de l’industrie de la construction (CCGIC), graduates who have successfully completed a study program recognized by the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) in the occupation covered by the application can obtain an occupation competency certificate (OCC). If you have a similar diploma obtained outside of Québec, you must obtain a recognition of acquired competencies  from the Ministère de l'Éducation.

Click here to find out more about the functioning of the CCGIC, the registration period, and the documents to submit with your registration application. 

All individuals who have not passed the Cours de connaissance générale de l’industrie de la construction (CCGIC) are eligible to obtain an occupation competency certificate (OCC) if the state of the labour pool allows.

These individuals must fulfil the general conditions and present the following documentation:

Job guarantee

To obtain an OCC, candidates must have an employer reserve a place for them when a labour pool opens by contacting the Info-pénurie line at, 514 736-8743 or 1 877 973-6874. By reserving this place, the employer guarantees the candidate 150 hours of work over three months. For more information, read about the reservation procedure.

If you are a woman, see the measures in force that concern you.

How to submit your file to the CCQ

The form Application for registration or modification of identification file and/or choice of union association and all copies of supporting documents required must be sent by mail to the following address:

Commission de la construction du Québec 
a/s Demande d’obtention d’un certificat de compétence occupation 
Case postale 2030, succursale Chabanel 
Montréal (Québec)  H2N 0C4

Candidates may also go to one of the CCQ’s regional offices with all of their documentation.

The CCQ must receive the employee’s complete file within 14 working days following registration of the employer’s job guarantee in order for the requested competency certificate to be issued.

A sole proprietorship (physical person) or a designated representative may obtain an occupation competency certificate (OCC) as an employer candidate.  

Employer candidates must fulfil the general conditions.

How to submit your file to the CCQ

The form Application for registration or modification of identification file and/or choice of union association and all copies of supporting documents required must be sent by mail to the following address:

Commission de la construction du Québec 
a/s Demande d’obtention d’un certificat de compétence occupation 
Case postale 2030, succursale Chabanel 
Montréal (Québec)  H2N 0C4

Candidates may also go to one of the CCQ’s regional offices with all of their documentation.

Individuals who demonstrate that they have acquired at least 750 hours of work performed and remunerated, in a construction context, in tasks corresponding to an occupation outside the field of application of Act R-20, may apply for an occupation competency certificate (OCC).

The hours that may be recognized are:

  • Hours worked and remunerated in the occupation applied for outside the field of application of Act R-20.

The person must comply with the general conditions Aand present the following documentation:

  • Fill out and submit the form Demande de certificat de compétence occupation – Reconnaissance de l’expérience de travail and attach the experience record (all copies of supporting documentation required are indicated on the form).

Job guarantee

The person must present a job guarantee. This guarantee must:

  • Come from an employer registered with the CCQ
  • Be for a duration of at least 150 hours, spread over a period of at most three consecutive months

How to submit your file to the CCQ

The form Application for registration or modification of identification file and/or choice of union association and all copies of supporting documents required must be sent by mail to the following address:

Commission de la construction du Québec 
a/s Demande d’obtention d’un certificat de compétence occupation 
Case postale 2030, succursale Chabanel 
Montréal (Québec)  H2N 0C4

Candidates may also go to one of the CCQ’s regional offices with all of their documentation.

People who live outside of Canada and wish to obtain an OCC must consult the tab “Candidate abroad (international recruitment).”

Individuals living outside of Canada selected beforehand by an employer and wishing to join the Québec construction industry may apply to have their work experience recognized in order to obtain an occupation competency certificate (OCC).

To see the list of occupations concerned, click here. Note that in the Québec construction industry, the professions of land surveyor instruments person (surveyor), blaster-driller, line worker, diver, welder, and pipe welder are considered “specialized occupations,” leading to an occupation competency certificate.

The recognition procedure for international candidates takes place in two steps: the request for preliminary analysis before you arrive in Québec and the application for issuance of an OCC once you arrive in Québec. Before beginning any process, make sure that you have found an employer ready to hire you in Québec. The employer will have to co-sign the required forms.

Request for preliminary analysis

First, you must fulfil a series of criteria that will allow you to submit your file to the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) so that it can proceed with a preliminary analysis:

  • Demonstrate that you have acquired at least 750 hours of work performed and remunerated corresponding to an occupation, in a construction context, outside of the field of application of Act R-20
  • Find an employer registered with the CCQ ready to hire you once you hold your competency certificate
  • Fill out the form Application for Preliminary Analysis – Recognition of Work Experience, including the attached “Work experience sheet – Employee.” You may fill out several sheets, as they serve to demonstrate all of the hours that you would like recognized.

The hours eligible for recognition are:

  • Hours worked and remunerated in this occupation outside of the field of application of Act R-20

The detailed procedure regarding the request for preliminary analysis (information to send, documents, etc.) is given on the form.

How to submit your file to the CCQ

The form Application for Preliminary Analysis – Recognition of Work Experience and all the supporting documentation required must be sent to [email protected].

The CCQ will inform you and the employer offering you a job in Québec of its decision by email in about 20 working days after it receives the form and all the documents required.

Application for issuance of an OCC once you arrive in Québec

After the preliminary analysis is accepted, you may apply to obtain an OCC from the CCQ. IMPORTANT: You may not apply until you have arrived in Québec, even if some of the conditions listed below have been initiated before you immigrate to Canada.

You must meet the general conditions and present a job guarantee. Note the following details concerning elements on the list of general conditions.

  • In the form Application for registration or modification of identification file or choice of union association, you do not have to provide a permanent code in section 1.
  • You must obtain your social insurance number from Service Canada.
  • If you have taken the course Santé et sécurité générale sur les chantiers de construction before you arrive in Québec, make sure to provide the four last numbers of your social insurance number to ASP Construction when you obtain the number.
  • For photocopies of official documents on this list, the documents must be provided in French or English. If the document is written in another language, you must attach a professional translation into French or English.

Job guarantee

You must also present a job guarantee. The guarantee must:

  • Come from the employer registered with the CCQ that signed the form submitted with your request for preliminary analysis
  • Be for a duration of at least 150 hours, spread over a period of at most three consecutive months

How to submit your file to the CCQ

The form Application for registration or modification of identification file and/or choice of union association and all copies of supporting documents required must be sent by mail to the following address:

Commission de la construction du Québec 
a/s Demande d’obtention d’un certificat de compétence occupation 
Case postale 2030, succursale Chabanel 
Montréal (Québec)  H2N 0C4

You may also go to one of the CCQ’s regional offices with all of their documentation.

  • Course Santé et sécurité générale sur les chantiers de construction

    The 30-hour course Santé et sécurité générale sur les chantiers de construction is offered through the schools in the different school boards or through the construction industry’s employer and union associations.

    To register for this course, candidates must refer to the school services centre in their region or to the association that represents them.

  • Cours de connaissance générale de l’industrie de la construction (CCGIC)

    Graduate blaster and driller, line worker, land surveyor instrument person, and diver candidates, as well as people who entered the industry due to the state of the labour pools, do not have to register for the Cours de connaissance générale de l’industrie de la construction (CCGIC) to obtain their first occupation competency certificate (OCC). However, to renew their OCC, they must, within their training obligation period, pass the CCGIC, which is divided into two separate training activities. 

    Welders and pipe welders

    Graduate welder and pipe welder candidates must register for the CCGIC, which is divided into two distinct parts, to obtain their first OCC.

    Registration for the CCGIC 2024

    The registration period for 2024 ended on October 25, 2024. Information on registration periods for 2025 will be available soon.

    Outside of the registration periods, it is possible to join the industry due to the state of the labour pools.

    Estimatione of workforce needs

    Access to the construction industry for welders and pipe welders depends mainly on the needs expressed by the industry in the context of an annual estimate of workforce needs.

    The annual number of places available for the CCGIC is determined through a process of estimation of workforce needs conducted by the industry’s employer and worker representatives. If the number of registrations is higher than the estimated needs, a random draw determines the people selected.  

    Course schedule

    One of the parts of the CCGIC, lasting 15 hours, will be offered soon. Individuals selected must make themselves available Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (two days).

    Please note that the CCQ reserves the right to group together registrations from different regions to ensure that the training will take place.

  • Blaster certification

    Since 1994, the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) has mandated the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) to manage certification of blaster.

    To perform blasting work or any other work necessitating the use of explosives, it is obligatory to hold a blaster certificate.

    If the construction site is covered by the Act Respecting Labour Relations, Vocational Training and Workforce Management in the Construction Industry (Act R-20), the blaster must also hold an occupation competency certificate.

    Obtaining a first blaster certificate

    The following conditions are required to obtain a first blaster certificate:

    To register for the examination, the candidate must:

    • Have completed the vocational studies program Forage et dynamitage from the ministry responsible for education OR have worked as a blaster’s assistant for at least 150 hours over the previous 24 months (written proof required)
    • Send the Blaster certificate application form, duly filled out, accompanied by the documents required, to one of the CCQ’s regional offices 

    Blaster certification examination 

    Blaster examination

    The blaster examination is intended essentially to validate your knowledge and experience concerning blasting work or any other work necessitating the use of explosives. This examination is presented in the form of multiple-choice questions and is available in English and French. The examination questions integrate both the imperial and the international measurement systems.

    The time allowed for the examination is 3 hours, or 180 minutes. The examination has 51 questions, each of which is worth 1 point. The passing grade is 80%. The material provided for taking the examination includes a calculator, a pencil, and an eraser. No other materials or reference documents are authorized during the exam.

    To clearly establish your identity, you will be asked to show one official piece of identification, when you arrive for the examination.

    The results

    The results are sent within two weeks following your taking the examination. If you have passed the examination, the CCQ will issue your blaster certificate on behalf of the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST). If you have failed, you will be notified in writing of the conditions for retaking the examination and when you can register to retake it.

    Preparation for the examination 

    You must be very familiar with Division IV of the Safety Code for the Construction Industry, “Handling and Use of Explosives.”

    If you fail the examination 

    After a first failure of the examination, you must wait one month before retaking the examination. If you fail a second time, you must wait three months. 

    For more information on the suggested resources and documents and on the blaster examination, you can consult the ”Blaster Certification” information sheet.

    Renewing the blaster certificate 

    Two renew a blaster certificate, you must simply send the Blasters certificate application form, duly filled out, accompanied by the documents required, to one of the CCQ’s regional offices.

    Since November 30, 2010, when a blaster certificate is renewed, the expiry date of the new certificate has been harmonized with that for the general explosives certificate (GEC) issued by the Sûreté du Québec. Applications for renewal of the GEC must still be sent to the Sûreté du Québec. However, it is no longer necessary to present your GEC to the CCQ with your application for renewal of the blaster certificate. The CCQ will verify directly with the Sûreté du Québec whether the applicant holds a valid GEC.

  • Renewal of the occupation competency certificate

    The occupation competency certificate (OCC) will be renewed automatically or upon application if the conditions for renewal are satisfied.

    If you were inactive for certain specific reasons, you may be able to renew your certificate free of charge.

    Contact Customer Services to make your renewal upon request.

    If the certificate cannot be renewed, you must comply with the general conditions for obtaining an occupation competency certificate.

    Automatic renewal – having passed the CCGIC

    • If you have an OCC valid for 12 months issued for the first time after you passed the Cours de connaissance générale de l’industrie de la construction (CCGIC), you must work at least 150 hours (hours declared and registered with the CCQ) during the validity period in order for it to be renewed for a 12-month period

    OR

    • If you have an OCC valid for 12 months that was not issued for the first time after you passed the CCGIC, it will be renewed for a 12-month period if you have worked in the construction industry during the 14 months prior to its renewal date (hours declared and registered with the CCQ)

    Automatic renewal –CCGIC not taken

    To renew your first OCC with a 12-month validity period, you must:

    • Have worked in the industry during the 14 months prior to the renewal

    AND

    • Have taken and passed the Cours de connaissance générale de l’industrie de la construction (CCGIC).

    To pass the CCGIC, the following two parts must be passed:

    • Passing the 15-hour module Situation au regard des organismes de l’industrie de la construction

    AND

    • Completing one or more upgrading activities, with a minimum duration of 45 hours, offered in the Répertoire des activités de perfectionnement for occupations in the construction industry. Note that if you are a graduate of a recognized study program for a specialized occupation, you have satisfied this second requirement. You must, however, ensure that this training is registered in your CCQ file.

    Renewal by application

    • You may apply for renewal of an OCC if at least 10,000 hours (5,000 hours under the measures for women) have been declared and registered with the CCQ in an occupation. These hours must have been accumulated after January 1, 1971, and at least one hour must have been worked during the five years preceding the application

    AND

    • You may apply for the renewal of an OCC at most 8 months after expiry of the previous competency certificate. Your application must be accompanied by a 150-hour job guarantee from an employer registered with the CCQ. These hours must be worked over a period of at most three consecutive months.