Quebec is suffering from an acute shortage of skilled workers in the construction, health care and engineering sectors, according to an annual employment guide published by Jobboom.

There aren't enough students graduating from vocational colleges to fill new job openings in those sectors, and graduates are beset by several employment offers, the recruiting service reported Tuesday as it unveiled its latest guide. 

To research the booklet, called Les carrières d'avenir 2007 (Careers of the Future 2007), Jobboom interviewed 400 leaders and managers in several Quebec industries to gauge recruiting trends.

Several managers and small-business owners reported a shortage of skilled workers for certain types of jobs.

For example, about 100 employers tried to recruit 30 students who graduated from a dental hygiene program at John Abbott College in Montreal last year.

In Abitibi, 10 graduates from a welding program received about 30 job offers in 2006.

The shortage can be explained in part because trades still suffer from social stigma, even though they are well-paid careers and offer stable employment, according to the guide.

With an aging population, Quebec should do more to recruit a new generation of trade workers, said Julie Gobeil, editor of the employee guide.

The number of people in the province aged 15 to 24 has shrunk by 25 per cent in two decades and only a 10 to 15 per cent increase in trade school enrolment will fill the void created by retiring baby boomers, said Patricia Richard, the content director at Jobboom.

According to the guide, some skilled trades are enjoying a zero per cent unemployment rate, which means there are more jobs available than people to fill them. Those trades include:

  • Pork production.
  • Insulation instalment.
  • Aeronautical construction.

Some university-based professions are also reporting shortages, including pharmacy.

The Université de Montréal said its 150 annual pharmaceutical graduates each receive an average of two to three job offers a year. Other overlooked professions include actuarial science and audiology.