Training in the midst of a labour shortage in Quebec: Understanding what small businesses need in order to better equip them

Introduction

Small businesses in all sectors are deeply affected by the labour shortage, and survey data collected by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) in the last few months shows that things are only getting worse. In Quebec, job vacancies have once again hit a peak: 245,470 in Q1 2022, up 81,125 (+49%) from Q1 2021, and 4,275 (+2%) from the previous quarter. Moreover, the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MTESS) has acknowledged that the labour shortage adversely affects citizens, jeopardizes investments and stalls projects that are crucial to Quebec’s prosperity.

There are many ways to help businesses face the labour shortage, including reducing their tax burden, increasing immigration thresholds, facilitating hiring and retention, encouraging automation and supporting training and retraining. This Research Snapshot provides a breakdown of entrepreneurs’ thoughts on training and current programs and support to mitigate the labour shortage.