Québec’s aerospace industry launching awareness campaign aimed at attracting talent

MONTREAL — Aéro Montréal, Québec’s aerospace cluster, and more than 50 aerospace stakeholders have joined forces to address the labour shortage challenge. As part of the International Aerospace Week at the Palais des congrès in Montréal, the collective is launching a major awareness campaign to attract and retain emerging aerospace talent.

The Québec aerospace sector will need to fill 38,000 jobs in the next decade. According to the latest census conducted by the Comité sectoriel de main-d’oeuvre en aérospatiale (CAMAQ), more than 30 occupational groups are currently understaffed, or will be in the next two years. From engineering to production, and including maintenance, Québec’s enterprises must fill multiple positions.

“Québec’s 210 businesses in the industry currently represent more than 35,000 jobs and plan to expand in the coming years. Joining forces around this campaign to attract talent, the members of the cluster demonstrate their common objective: find specific solutions to reinforce our talent pool, one of the industry’s foundational pillars,” stresses Steeve Lavoie, Chairman of the Board, Aéro Montréal and President and CEO, Bell Textron Canada Ltd.

Working with the Bleublancrouge agency, the collective decided on a new approach to attract the next generation. Their primarily digital campaign will feature influencers for the first time, as well as industry workers.

Through this campaign, industry players also intend to showcase the transformation underway over the past several years. The initiative will highlight the efforts of industry participants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide more inclusive and diverse work environments. In addition, part of the campaign will target girls and young women interested in entering the industry.

In line with the current societal challenges, the industry banks on new propulsion modes, alternative fuel, new materials or even new aerostructures.

“Channelling more than 75% of the Canadian Research and Development (R&D), the Québec aerospace sector has already positioned itself as an industry of choice to propose exciting jobs that will bring about a worldwide revolution in aerospace. While establishing the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in our organizations, we demonstrate to the next generation that on top of offering future-oriented jobs, we also create work environments that foster their development,” adds Hélène V. Gagnon, member of the Board, Aéro Montréal, and Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement, CAE.

The recruitment campaign was designed by Aéro Montréal in collaboration with AAR Corp, Abipa international, Aéroports de Montréal, Airbus Canada, Air Transat, Altitude Aerospace, APN, Avianor, Avior, Bell Textron Canada Ltd., CAE, CAMAQ, CFP des moulins, CMC Électronique, Collins Aerospace, CRIAQ, CS Group, Delastek, Desjardins, École des métiers de l’aérospatiale de Montréal (ÉMAM), École nationale d’aérotechnique (ÉNA), Flying Whales, le Fonds de solidarité FTQ, GE aviation, Héroux-Devtek, Howmet Aerospace, Hutchinson, L3 Harris, Let’s Warp, Lisi, Lockheed Martin, Marinvent, MDA, Groupe Meloche, MHIRJ, Mirabel, Optima Aero, Polycontrols, Polytechnique Montréal, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Rolls-Royce, SAF+ Consortium, le Secrétariat à la condition féminine, Siemens Energy, Sonaca, Stelia and Thales.