October 4, 2003 – The Chomedey News, Laval’s English community newspaper
33,000 job vacancies for Lavallers by 2006
BY BARBARA LAVOIE
With Laval’s employment picture looking rather glooming these days, the provincial government delivered a hopeful message for the future to area youth and job seekers at a press conference held Monday, September 22, 2003 at the Laval-des-Rapides CLE, one of the area’s four employment centres.
MNA Vincent Auclair (Vimont), parliamentary assistant to the minister of employment, social solidarity and family welfare and MNA Michelle Courchesne (Fabre), minister of relations with the citizens and immigration, revealed the highlights of their forecast, Employment Perspectives for Laval: Horizon 2006, a review of future trends in more than 300 trades and professions.
Close to 33,000 job vacancies are predicted for Lavallers by year-end 2006. Of the total vacancies forecast, 15,300 or 47% will be new jobs created by economic growth in the region and the remaining 17,400 or 53% will result from employee retirement and death.
Horizon 2006 suggests the future is particularly bright for those who want to pursue a career in health care, management, natural and applied sciences, or sales and service.
They predict doctors and specialists, nurses and radiologists will be needed in the health sector, managers in engineering, science and architecture, chemists, civil engineers and applied chemistry technicians in natural and applied sciences, and wholesale technical sales specialists in sales and service.
High school graduates can expect to find work as nursing assistants, butchers, machinists and electricians; college educated workers as applied chemistry technicians, electronic and electrical technicians and radiologists; and, university educated workers as chemists, information system analysts and accounting auditors.
Obviously pleased to bring such good news to Lavallers, Auclair stated, “We want to send a message to the people who want to work that Laval has the potential to employ them. We need everybody. We can’t afford to leave anyone on the side,” adding, “By working together and reducing taxes, the government hopes to create even more jobs.”
On hand for the announcement were: MNA Alain Paquet (Laval-des-Rapides); MNA Maurice Clermont (Mille-Îles); Emploi-Québec economist, Jacques Chapdelaine; Emploi-Québec Laval director, Michel Cournoyer; Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi de Laval manager Monique Sauvé, several other Emploi-Québec managers and staff, CLE managers and staff, and members of the press.
Courchesne acknowledged that the changes proposed by the government would require a change in attitude for some local employers. "In general, Laval has a dynamic business community, but some will need to open their minds and lift barriers in order to employ more people such as people with handicaps," she said.
She also spoke of sensitizing the population and employers to discrimination against visible minorities and emphasized, “It’s unacceptable, we are inclusive.”
With the employment forecast promising something for just about everyone, youth, older and immigrant job seekers and local businesses, the government proposed a plan of action to help Lavallers benefit from the upcoming job vacancies.
-With the majority of the jobs predicted in Horizon 2006 requiring a high school diploma or vocational training, youth will be encouraged to either finish their high school diploma or to pursue vocational careers. The ministries of employment and education will work with school guidance counsellors to encourage youth make these choices.
-Efforts will begin this fall to promote the online trades and professions information service, Inforoute FPT, to youth and their parents.
-Emploi-Québec will be more directly involved in placement services for the unemployed and businesses to ensure the supply and demand in the labour market is met more quickly.
-Efforts will be increased to help individuals on income support programs such as welfare or unemployment insurance fill the predicted job vacancies.
-Emploi-Québec will increase on-the-job training opportunities for people 45 years and older to help them adapt to changes in the labour market and to increase more in this group to work.
-Efforts will be made to refine immigrant integration programs including professional accreditation to permit more rapid participation in the labour market.
Auclair pointed out, “We will be focussing first on the population on welfare. If we can work with people early on, we can save them from a future of welfare.”
Local employers recently needed workers skilled in welding, retail sales, food preparation and shipping/receiving, explained economist Jacques Chapdelaine of Emploi-Québec Laval responsible for preparing the area’s labour market information report published every three months.
$285.1 million to be invested in Laval
businesses
According to labour market report published in July 2003, a total of $285.1 million will be invested to either create new businesses or expand and renovate existing ones in Laval over the next three years. It is likely these employers will be creating the majority of the new jobs.
$109.3 million invested in Chomedey and
Saint-Dorothée districts
For the Chomedey and Saint-Dorothée districts, $109.3 million, representing just over 38% of the total investment in the region, will create jobs in professional services for science and technology, business management, hotel and tourism, construction, sales and retail trade.
Companies expected to provide these jobs include: Supratek and CQIB, biotechnology industries; Aurélium Biopharma Inc. and Phytobiotech, pharmaceutical manufacturers; Technologies Ltd., computer technology; an expansion and renovation of Chomedey Toyota car dealership; a new SAQ in Centropolis; an expansion and restructuring of Centre Laval for The Brick furniture store and Future Shop electronics; a new 31-store megacentre in Saint-Dorothée; a relocation of the Sports Experts head office; and, a new production facility and retail outlet of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.
640,000 jobs vacancies for Quebecers by
2006
The employment forecast for Laval follows the announcement made in July by Claude Béchard, minister of employment, social solidarity and family welfare, that the government expects 640,000 job vacancies will be available for Quebecers between now and 2006.
At that time the minister launched a new program, operation employment, geared toward people applying for or receiving welfare. Acknowledging the government was making “a change of philosophy, a dynamic change,” he stated the point of entry for those without severe employment barriers would be Emploi-Québec, adding that in the majority of cases, the individual would be seen the same day.
In other words, the same day they apply for welfare they could be offered a job, education or training as an alternative to financial assistance.
In the past, the two departments, employment and social solidarity, worked hand in hand. A person in need of financial support applied to social solidarity for welfare assistance. After an application was made, then approved, a process that took several weeks, a recipient could then meet with Emploi-Québec staff to determine what programs, if any, the person needed to help them find work. If it was found further education and/or training such as job search skills would be helpful, the individual and the Emploi-Québec counsellor agreed on a plan of action.
Admitting there has always been an effort to match welfare applicants with employers, the minister insisted they were “placing a priority on employment,” adding “those who refuse to participate and play their role must assume responsibility for their choice and that penalties provided by law will be rigorously applied.”
Béchard went on to state the government’s objective is to reduce by 25,500 the number of households receiving welfare this year in Quebec. Confident in both the potential of welfare recipients and their new employment program, he hoped life would improve for those less fortunate so they can contribute their talents and ideas to developing the province..
Clearly from the minister’s announcement and by the latest employment forecast, the government is making a significant shift in philosophy from financial assistance to job assistance.
And to enforce these proposed changes, philosophically and concretely, remember, their objective of reducing the number of households receiving welfare, they are imposing lawful penalties that will be “rigorously applied.”
“Yes, we started the program in July and many applicants were seen the same day,” said Michel Cournoyer, regional director of Emploi-Québec Laval. However, he was unable to provide any statistics on the number of applicants, etc., adding, “The numbers aren’t available until 12 weeks after they apply because sometimes during that time they are attending job search programs, etc.” Cournoyer added, “The employment picture is getting better in Laval – it’s been good since January.”
An article published in La Presse on July 4, 2003 cited a case where an individual receiving welfare was penalized $150. “Yes, the penalty for refusing a job is $30,” confirmed Auclair, “and yes, it could go up to as high as $150, depending on how many penalties the individual had received.”
He made it clear that the government is not out to punish individuals. “We aren’t going to push them around or penalize them, we want to help remove the restrictions so they can work. Everything depends on work – their social well-being, everything – it’s circular,” said Auclair.
The labour market information report published in July 2003 reported that at the end of March, there were 7,297 individuals, with and without employment barriers, receiving welfare, 368 fewer than in March 2002. In the Chomedey and Saint-Dorothées districts, 2786 individuals, 2 more than last year, were receiving welfare.
There were 9,548 individuals receiving employment insurance at the end of June, 178 more than in June 2002. In the Chomedey and Saint-Dorothée districts, 2,728 individuals, 35 more than last year, were receiving employment insurance.
In Laval, at the end of June, 200,300 individuals or a little more than 56% of the total population, 50,700 between the ages of 15 and 29 and 149,600 30 years and older, were employed.
“There are 170,000 welfare recipients without employment barriers in all of Quebec,” reported Auclair, in a later telephone interview, “and these people have to be returned to work. We need everybody.”
Although more recent local statistics were not available, Auclair stated, “Whatever the numbers are in Laval, they are still too high. The reality is there are jobs here.”
Monique Sauvé, manager of both youth employment centres, Carrefour Jeunesse de Laval, and president of the local labour market committee, interpreted the employment forecast and its message to area youth.
At both locations, she and her staff meet with “between 2,500 and 2,700 young adults each year” looking for work.
Remember what it was like when you were young. You applied for a job, the employer said they wanted someone with experience and you went away shaking your head and thinking, “But how am I going to get experience, if you don’t hire me.”
“The new jobs (15,300) in the forecast are great, but how are we going to fill the replacement jobs (17,400) that require high levels of experience.” said Sauvé. She used the biotechnology industry as an example. “It’s growing, so there will be some entry level jobs filled by those with minimum schooling, but let’s face it, many of those jobs require higher education such as a master degree or a doctorate.”
She feels the gap keeps growing between what job offers are available and the education level of the labour force. “Yes, job vacancies are great, but I’m not sure that they are accessible to young adults,” she added.
In addition, she spoke about the difficulties such as drug abuse, family violence and gang problems. “These problems prevent them from entering the job market,” she said, “I believe that in Laval we have to focus on the fact that more and more young adults are dealing with personal problems.”
La ferme jeunes au travail, a Laval community organization, is trying to make a difference for youth between the ages of 16 and 25 years. “We teach them how to keep a real job,” said social worker, Manon Belisle. The organic farm, in operation for the last 10 years, provides up to nine months of paid training in agriculture, farm equipment repair/maintenance for up to 40 youth per session.
“We serve mostly school dropouts,” added Belisle. “After their time with us, most find jobs in retail stores or garages and some decide to go to vocational school for horticulture.” Many of the youth have ended up at the farm because of drug abuse.
A number of resources are available for youth, job seekers and businesses wanting to get ready for the anticipated job vacancies.
For youth, two employment centres offer job assistance and information on educational and training programs: Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi de Laval; and, Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi de Laval.
Two on-line resources provide information on services for job seekers of all ages and employers.
Emploi-Québec, emploiquebec.net, is a bilingual web site that offers assistance to individuals and businesses as well as labour market information. Job seekers can search for jobs, post their resume and apply to job postings. Businesses can register with the employment bank, post job offers and obtain human resource expertise in recruitment, training, and management for creating and preserving jobs or preventing layoffs.
Inforoute FPT, www.inforoutefpt.org, is Quebec's vocational and technical education network that links businesses with the world of education. Students can learn about the programs that will offer them the best job prospects and businesses can get information on services, post job and practicum offers and check student/graduate lists.
For adult job seekers, four employment centres offer job assistance and information on retraining programs: CLE de Chomedey- Sainte-Dorothée; CLE de Laval-des-Rapides; CLE de Sainte-Rose-de-Laval; and, CLE de Saint-Vincent-de-Paul.