Quebec aerospace industry to grow in 2012: 3,600 jobs will be added

Quebec's aerospace industry, with $11.4 billion in revenue, is the sixth largest in the world. Recent survey of the industry points to growth in 2012.

A new survey gives a positive outlook for the aerospace industry in Quebec, with 95 per cent of respondents saying they expect 2012 to be better than 2011, which was a good year. The industry will add more than 3,600 jobs this year, continuing a growth trend that goes back more than three decades.

The annual Employment Census and Forecast survey was done by the Comité sectoriel de main-d'œuvre en aérospatiale. The director, Serge Tremblay, said, "The economic slowdown really seems to be behind us, to the point where some positions requiring specific skills are difficult to fill. We can anticipate ongoing challenges on that score if young talents as well as experienced workers do not join the existing workforce."

The new employment opportunities will extend throughout the industry, which includes 215 companies operating all over the province. Much of the activity is concentrated in the Montreal area. Engineers, machinists, process planners, furniture makers and finishers, assemblers, aircraft and maintenance technicians are among the positions that will need to be filled. 

"The interior and exterior finishing of aircraft is one of the sub-sectors experiencing phenomenal growth, adds Mr. Tremblay. Since 2008, there has been a 48% increase in the number of people employed in this field in Quebec.”

To meet market needs, a training centre for those trades is in the advanced stages of development.

On January 1, 2012, 47,279 people were employed locally in the aerospace industry, after a gain of 3,040 positions in 2011.