Montreal, July 9, 2020— Propulsion Québec, the cluster for electric and intelligent transportation, unveiled today a brand-new study entitled “Horizon 2050 and Labour and Training Needs of the Electric and Intelligent Transportation Sector in Quebec”. While nearly 70% of the cluster’s members consider the availability of labour a constraint on growth[1], this study, carried out by the firm MARCON, helps better document and identify courses of action and to act on labour and training needs in the electric and intelligent transportation (EIT) sector.
It is divided into three main parts that cover these specific issues:
- The evolution of EIT and scenarios for their deployment over the 2020–2050 horizon;
- The portrait of the workforce and training in the EIT sector in Quebec: evolution and new needs;
- Lines of action to ensure the availability and quality of the workforce in our sector.
This study was carried out with the financial participation of the Government of Quebec.
A promising sector for Quebec and its workforce
The study shows that electric and intelligent transportation is a sector of the future since an exponential increase in electric and intelligent vehicles in circulation is anticipated in North America, raising this segment from 1.4 million units to 155.2 million by 2050. It is estimated that they would then represent nearly 70%[2] of the North American on-road vehicle fleet. Some categories of electric and intelligent vehicles could experience more marked growth, such as medium and heavy vehicles, because supply for these is still emerging.
Furthermore, the study concludes that Quebec could occupy a prime position in the value chain of the electric and intelligent transport industry, notably thanks to its potential in the manufacture of medium and heavy vehicles, charging infrastructure, and vehicle components in the optics and artificial intelligence sector.
Regarding impacts on the Quebec workforce, the study argues that the electric and intelligent transportation sector will need to focus on about ten priority occupations for the sector, mainly affecting engineering positions, technical sales and vehicle maintenance to meet this expected growth. Furthermore, the training offer should evolve to incorporate more content specific to electric and intelligent transportation in Quebec, as well as the creation of new programs to complement the available training offerings.
Quotes
“The study is a flagship document for our ecosystem and provides an exhaustive portrait of the electric and intelligent transportation industry, allowing us to have an invaluable long-term vision of its potential. And since these projections are very encouraging, we must continue to position ourselves as a leader in electric and intelligent land transport to support the growth of our sector,” said Sarah Houde, President and Chief Executive Officer of Propulsion Québec, the cluster of electric and intelligent transportation.
“Quebec is teeming with companies with strong growth potential in the transportation sector and demonstrates great expertise in this field with a highly skilled workforce. Electrification and automation of transport represent the next phase of mobility development, and Quebec must prepare its workers for this major sector transformation,” emphasized Sarah Houde, President and CEO of Propulsion Québec, the cluster of electric and intelligent transportation.
“The electric and intelligent transportation industry undoubtedly represents an opportunity for growth and expansion for the Quebec workforce. Thanks to this study, we were able to identify more precisely the needs and development opportunities in this sector and are better equipped to align the necessary training — which we can potentially develop in collaboration with Quebec educational institutions — with labour market realities,” affirmed Jean Boulet, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity of Quebec.
Propulsion Québec's recommendations
The study proposes the following actions to promote the availability of a qualified workforce for the industry:
- Select the most promising niches of the intelligent transportation sector for Quebec and develop a Quebec EIT strategy in order to align stakeholder initiatives and guide government action regarding investment, training development and international recruitment ;
- Entrust Propulsion Québec and/or its partners with the development and implementation of a bundle of promotional actions for industry jobs and training to students at the university, college and secondary levels ;
- Work with postsecondary educational institutions and their representatives to ensure the adjustment of existing curricula to introduce teaching of applied concepts relevant to the EIT context ;
- Add internships within companies operating in the EIT sector to better expose students to possible applications of their knowledge in these industries ;
- Aggressively recruit the best resources in the world in the selected niches of the intelligent transportation sector in order to strengthen Quebec's expertise in this sector by relying on existing foundations ;
- Carry out a more exhaustive quantitative assessment of jobs directly and indirectly at risk and conduct regular interval monitoring of the rate of job loss for each profession concerned in order to prevent any situation of surplus or shortage in Quebec ;
- Create a coordination mechanism between industry and the academic sector to ensure the best possible match between the training offered and the needs of the sectors ;
- Examine the possibility of creating a training brokerage service within Propulsion Québec to help members quickly identify the resources they need to meet their needs.
[1] KPMG for Propulsion Québec, Economic Portrait of the Electric and Intelligent Transportation Sector of Quebec, 2019, p. 18.
[2] Under a realistic scenario, consult the full study for more information.
