CMEQ Welcomes the Announcement of a $250M Investment for Training the Next Generation

August 25, 2025

Hydro-Québec and the Ministry of Education (MÉQ) will jointly invest $250 million to encourage more young people to enroll, in particular, in the electricity training program (DEP) within the Vocational Training Centers.

“This is excellent news that will ultimately allow all electrical contractors to benefit from a larger pool of labor to tackle the many construction projects, among other things, to achieve Quebec’s energy transition. We look forward to hearing more details about this timely initiative,” said Julie Senécal, Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the Corporation of Master Electricians of Quebec.

$100 million for training the next generation of electricity workers

Hydro-Québec will invest $100 million to increase training capacity in the two priority trades of electricians and linemen and implement attractiveness measures to encourage enrollment. In its press release, the Crown corporation emphasizes that concrete support is also planned to promote access for First Nations and Inuit, so that they can fully participate, if they wish, in the energy transition.

For its part, the Ministry of Education will invest approximately $150 million to support training in other construction trades, such as carpentry, heavy machinery mechanic, plumber, and refrigeration engineer. These investments will include the expansion of training centers and the acquisition of specialized equipment.

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