The workforce shortage is real and it is happening right now. It is the main challenge threatening our economy. To face it, the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, Mr. Philippe Couillard, made concrete commitments to fulfill labour market needs in all of our regions, to encourage hiring, focus on retention of workers and make their lives easier.
To make it easier to balance work and studies with family life, we will:
- Create 2,000 new spaces in subsidized child care services in the workplace as well as in CEGEPs and universities
- Make the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan more flexible
- Develop more alternating work-study training programs, in particular for beneficiary assistants;
To better train and attract:
- Make part-time vocational training free for students in activity sectors that meet the needs identified by the regions;
- Hold a workforce forum in the health and social services network;
- Better recognize the teaching and beneficiary assistant professions
To make it easier for seniors to contribute:
- Allow pensions to be postponed or suspended until age 75;
- Enhance the experienced workers’ tax credit by $1000;
To make it easier for workers from abroad to contribute:
- Work with municipalities and MRCs to establish local portraits of workforce needs and encourage the integration and retention of immigrants in the regions;
- Invest an additional $10M per year in French-language training in the workplace;
In four years we have gone from unemployment to workforce shortages. Unlike others, we acknowledge this reality and want to make sure we are equipped to face it. In a second mandate, my government will intensify support for businesses, workers and regions in order to face this new challenge.
– Philippe Couillard, Premier of Quebec and leader of the Quebec Liberal Party
