Hydro-Québec will have to redouble its efforts and increase salaries to attract engineers if it wants to make the 100 billion investments planned to increase its production, warns the Professional Union of Engineers of the state company.

Its generous pension plan, which has few equals in Quebec, is not as attractive as before, assures Nicolas Richard, president of the union which brings together Hydro-Québec’s 2,578 engineers.

“A young graduate who in his mind thinks he is going to change jobs several times in his life has less interest in a retirement plan,” he explains in an interview with La Presse. He thinks more about his lifestyle and work-family balance. »

Hydro-Québec’s intention to restart the machine and increase its electricity production by 9,000 megawatts by 2035 delights Hydro-Québec engineers. They want to participate fully and not leave the work to private sector subcontractors. “We don’t want to become contract managers, like at the Ministry of Transport,” says the union representative.

“Hydro-Québec engineers are present from the drop of water to the customer,” he says. No engineers, no terawatt hours. »

Recruiting the workforce necessary to make investments equivalent to twice those in James Bay by 2035 will be Hydro-Québec’s main challenge, according to its CEO Michael Sabia.

The company will need 35,000 qualified workers per year on average to carry out its action plan. Of that number, the union estimates there will be 700 engineers.

In theory, Hydro-Québec should have no problem recruiting engineers to carry out projects of a unique scale in Quebec. There are 10,000 graduates per year from Quebec universities and Hydro-Québec currently hires 100 per year, according to the union.

“We are far, far from being competitive,” he says.

It is by increasing the starting salary that we must begin to hire young people who are more attracted by the possibilities offered by start-ups and who do not all want to work in remote regions.

Teleworking is certainly a recruitment asset, believes the Professional Union of Hydro-Québec Engineers, which was the first in Quebec to include this right in an employment contract.

The contract provides for two days of compulsory presence at the office, but in reality, it is a single day presence which is required, said Nicolas Richard.

This flexibility has already had an impact on staff retention, he says, because engineers who were thinking of retiring have decided to stay on the job longer.