Competency certificates, your passport to working in the construction industry
Do you have your competency cards?
Everybody working on a construction site has to have one of the three types of competency certificate that attest to their expertise. If you have a diploma, you can apply for certification as soon as you have a guarantee for 150 of work with an employer registered with the CCQ. If you don’t have a diploma you have to wait for a labour shortage pools to open.
Occupation competency certificate
Occupation competency certificates (CCO) are issued to people with job titles of labourer, specialized labourer or an occupational title that requires a diploma. They’re valid for a 12-month period and renew automatically if you’ve worked at least one hour during the validity period.
CCO-eligible candidates
- Candidates with a diploma from a program of study recognized by the CCQ (blaster and driller, surveyor, and diver) and a job guarantee of at least 150 hours of work from an employer registered with the CCQ.
- Candidates who have graduated from a program of study recognized by the CCQ (lineman, welder and pipe welder) and who have successfully completed the General Knowledge Course in the Construction Industry (CCGIC);
- The candidate by labour shortage pool opening who obtains from an employer and a guarantee of employment of 150 hours.
Get all the information about the general conditions for obtaining the OCC
Need a job guarantee?
Contact our personnel advisor. They can put you in touch with an employer who can hire you.
Apprentice competency certificates (ACC)
An ACC can be issued to different people:
- candidates currently pursuing a diploma of vocational studies (DVS) who wish to do a summer internship (who have obtained a guarantee of hours);
- candidates currently pursuing a DVS who have obtained a job guarantee during an opening in the labour pool;
- candidates holding a DVS.
Under certain conditions, the ACC is valid for a 12-month period and renews automatically if you have worked at least one hour during this period. Contact us for more details.
An apprentice must improve their knowledge to move from the apprentice level to the journeyperson level. The duration of the apprenticeship period ranges from 2,000 to 10,000 hours. Visit the CCQ to validate the duration of the apprenticeship that applies to your trade.
ACC-eligible candidates:
- Candidates with a diploma from a recognized program of study. Candidates without a diploma who obtain a job guarantee due to an opening in the labour pool. ll candidates must have obtained a guarantee of at least 150 hours of work from an employer registered with the CCQ. Find out about the conditions for joining the construction industry without a diploma;
- Students attending an educational institution whose program of study is recognized and who hold a letter of commitment from an employer. Such students are granted a temporary ACC for a 6-month period;
- Journeyperson candidates who wish to undertake an apprenticeship in another trade.
Get all the information about the general conditions for obtaining the ACC.
Need a job guarantee?
Contact our personnel advisor. They can put you in touch with an employer who can hire you.
Grants to complete your studies: interested?
Two grants are offered by the federal government to encourage apprentices to continue their training.
The Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG)
You are entitled to a taxable $1,000 grant to complete your studies in a designated Red Seal trade. The maximum allowable is $2,000 per training program. You must submit the form by March 31, 2025.
Please note
Eligibility conditions:
- Holding an apprentice competency certificate that has been renewed for a first time with a minimum of 150 hours (exemption certificate) and a second time with a minimum of 250 hours;
- For candidates without a diploma, having successfully completed a course of the program of study during the year of the AIG application.
For more information, contact our personnel advisor.
The Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG)
Thanks to the ACG, you receive a taxable and retroactive $2,000 grant when you complete your training in a designated Red Seal trade.
Please note
Eligibility conditions:
- Having been an apprentice in a designated Red Seal trade;
- Having passed the provincial qualification examination and obtained the journeyperson competency certificate.
For more information, contact our personnel advisor.
Journeyperson competency certificate (JCC)
The JCC is awarded to people who have completed their apprenticeship and passed the qualification examination for their trade. It is valid for a 12-month period and automatically renews if the journeyperson has been active for the 14 months preceding the expiry of the certificate.
JCC-eligible candidates:
- Apprentices who have passed the qualification examination. Find out about the eligibility criteria and the content of the qualification examination;
- Candidates who hold a qualification certificate from the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale for the following trades: electrician, refrigeration system, plumbing, heating, and elevating platform mechanic;
- Candidates who hold a qualification certificate with a Red Seal endorsement;
- Candidates who have obtained a recognition of qualification under the France-Québec Agreement.
Get all the information about the general conditions for obtaining the JCC.
What are the eligibility criteria for obtaining a competency certificate?
- Complete the following form: Application for Registration or Modification of Identification File or Choice of Union Association;
- Be at least 16 years old;
- Provide proof of identity and a social insurance number;
- Pass the following course: Santé et sécurité générale sur les chantiers de construction;
- Pay the $100 fee to the CCQ;
- Some academic prerequisites may be applicable.
Did you know that equity and inclusion measures have been implemented to promote access for women and Indigenous people to the construction industry? Get informed.
Exemptions
Labour shortage
An employer may submit a competency certificate exemption application to the CCQ by providing proof that no competency certificate holder with the required knowledge and skills is available to perform the work.
Employer child
An employer may submit a competency certificate exemption application to the CCQ for their child so that the latter can take over the employer’s business. Two employer child exemptions may be issued per company.
Essential person
An employer may submit a competency certificate exemption application to the CCQ by providing proof that the person is essential to the performance of a particular construction job or that this person must train at least one employee holding a competency certificate so that they can eventually perform the work.
