Recently, a major awareness campaign was launched as part of the International Aerospace Week at the Palais des congrès in Montréal with an aim to attract and retain emerging aerospace talent. Aéro Montréal, Québec’s aerospace cluster, and more than 50 aerospace stakeholders are part of the collective making this push.
More than 30 occupational groups are currently understaffed, or will be in the next two years according to the latest census conducted by the Comité sectoriel de main-d’oeuvre en aérospatiale (CAMAQ). From engineering to production, and including maintenance, Québec’s enterprises must fill upwards of 38,000 jobs in the next decade.
“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,” explained Steeve Lavoie, Chairman of the Board, Aéro Montréal and President and CEO, Bell Textron Canada Ltd.
The collective has looked to the Bleublancrouge agency in order to find a new approach to attracting the next generation. The result is a primarily digital campaign featuring a combination of influencers as well as industry workers.
Industry players also plan for this campaign to showcase the transformation that has been underway over the past several years which includes efforts to reduce greenhouse has emissions and provide more inclusive and diverse work environments. An important portion of the campaign will also target girls and young women interested in entering the industry.
The industry is banking on new propulsion modes, alternative fuel, new materials and even new aerostructures in keeping with current societal challenges.
“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 innovative recruitment campaign was designed by Aéro Montréal in collaboration with many important partners, including 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.
