Propulsion Québec launches En route!, the Career Hub in electric and smart transportation project

MONTREAL, Jan. 11, 2021 – Propulsion Québec, the cluster for electric and smart transportation, is launching a brand new, innovative project called En route!, the Career Hub in electric and smart transportation. The aim is to shine a light on the electric and smart ground transportation (EST) industry and attract new talent to create a qualified EST workforce. Almost 70% of cluster members struggle with workforce issues, and to address the problem Propulsion Québec conducted a study in July 2020 on the workforce needs of Quebec’s EST sector (in French). As a result, numerous recommendations were put forth to improve worker availability and from there, the En route! project—the first of its kind in Quebec—was born.

Presented in partnership with the Quebec government, the project promotes training, careers, and job opportunities in electric and smart transportation. There are three main components:

The goal of En route!, the Career Hub in electric and smart transportation is to help a variety of target audiences learn more about the EST industry, the types of training that lead to long-term careers, and employment opportunities. We want to make the industry more appealing and give cluster members access to a pool of workers that meet their needs.

More specifically, the project aims to:

The target audience includes students, upcoming and recent graduates, Quebec workers in other industries and sectors, foreign workers in other industries and sectors, and guidance counselors.

“Transportation electrification and integrated smart mobility solutions are the future of ground transportation worldwide, and many countries and regions, including Canada and Quebec, are including these types of initiatives in their post-COVID-19 economic recovery efforts. To navigate this energy and technology transition and make sure our sustainable mobility projects are a success, we need to attract, train, and develop qualified workers. Quebec has plenty to offer, including human capital, an emerging ecosystem, and an abundance of renewable energy, making it a natural leader in the global EST industry. Right here is where you will find the most promising career opportunities, and in cooperation with government partners, schools, and EST companies, the cluster is poised to attract workers from Quebec and elsewhere to create a pool of talent. By developing the specific skills our sector needs and encouraging certain people to retrain, we can develop a strong workforce for the industry,” said Sarah Houde, CEO of Propulsion Québec, the electric and smart vehicle cluster.

“The $150,000 contribution made by Services Québec to support the virtual fair is all the more important in the context of the current pandemic. This promising initiative will make it possible to meet a labour shortage in an opportune sector at a time when Québec is embarking on a major project: the electrification of its economy with the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy. Various areas of economic activity, such as transport and artificial intelligence applicable to mobility, are considered important to restore our economy. It is therefore necessary to uphold these sectors and encourage people to enter training programs that lead to employment in such areas. Measures, including the Renewed Prosperity Through Greater Training Program (PARAF), have already been implemented to promote training, requalification and the development of employee skills,” mentioned Jean Boulet, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity and Minister Responsible for the Mauricie Region.

The project would not have been possible without financial support from our partners: the Quebec government, Merkur, LeddarTech, BRP, Effenco, AddÉnergie, BIXI, The Lion Electric Co., Société de Transport de Laval, Cégep de Saint-Jérôme, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Cégep de Sainte-Foy, Université Laval, Compétences VÉ and McGill University.

To learn more about En route! to a Career in Electric and Smart Transportation, visit the webpage.

Québec’s smart and electric transportation cluster rallies the entire sector around joint projects aimed at positioning Québec as a leader in developing and implementing land transportation systems that promote smart and electric transportation. Created in 2017, Propulsion Québec has over 185 members from a variety of sectors and deploys its resources across six distinct working groups to develop and support innovative projects. The cluster receives financial support from the Government of Québec, the Government of Canada, Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), ATTRIX, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Hydro-Québec and Québecor.