D24 – Workforce shortages are Quebec’s main economic challenge, a challenge to which we must respond immediately by continuing to act on four fronts: education, participation, automation and immigration.
To go even further in terms of education and workforce training, in a second mandate the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Philippe Couillard, will make technical and professional training more accessible and attractive throughout the territory and will adapt it to the regions’ workforce needs so that workers can be trained and qualified in the sectors which will contribute to the vitality and economic development of these areas.
To facilitate accessibility to professional and technical training and encourage the acquisition of a first qualification or diploma:
- Increase the number of pilot projects and offer free part-time professional training in prioritized sectors;
- Abolish tuition fees for all students registered in part-time technical training leading to a diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC);
- Grant $12M over 4 years to teaching establishments to attract young people and adults to professional and technical training in our regions.
To encourage opening professional and technical training programs that respond to regional workforce needs and ensure the active participation of business in succession training:
- Offer 40 additional workplace-based professional training programs over 4 years and increase workplace training and alternating work-study offers in technical training;
- Open more small cohorts in professional training;
- Adapt professional training programs to regions’ needs and the 21st-century workforce challenges, and implement them more quickly.
These measures will require additional investments of $92M over 4 years. Among others, they will encourage work-study balance, interregional mobility and the labour market’s participation in training.