After working in the medical field, Antoine Vachon, a mechanical engineer, saw a job offer as a bicycle designer at Faction Bike Studio, a company from Saguenay which had just moved to Granby. Passionate about this sport, he jumped at the opportunity. Since then, he has developed bicycle frames for several companies here and around the world.
“We carry out around 25 projects per year for our clients and since we do a lot and we are used to adapting to different needs, we are able to do the design work quickly, while innovating,” explains Antoine Vachon.
Part of his work is very technical: he has to do calculations to check, for example, that the hardware resists different loads. But the other part is more human. “I lead the project from A to Z, so I also have to communicate with the client, ensure that my team, which includes CAD designers who do the 3D modeling, meets the client’s requirements, etc. », he illustrates.
However, designing bicycles is not an option that spontaneously comes to mind when thinking about a career in engineering.
“There are many more types of engineering than before and even after choosing a program of study, you can do different things afterwards, by following your passions,” remarks Sophie Larivière-Mantha, president of the Order of Engineers du Québec (OIQ), who herself studied automated production engineering before working in biomedical.
Moreover, engineers work in very diverse fields, according to figures from the OIQ. The majority are in industrial and manufacturing (22%), followed by civil (19%), buildings and mechanics (13%) as well as electrical (12%). Aerospace and IT and software follow, with 7% each. And many others.
Certain specialties are also booming. This is the case with cybersecurity. Frédéric Cuppens, professor in the department of computer engineering and software engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, has been in the field for more than 30 years.
“We are hyperconnected now with 5G and the Internet of Things: this widens the attack surface,” he says. In addition, the pandemic has quickly changed the way we work, with everything being done remotely. »
The one who heads the new multidisciplinary Institute in Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (IMC2) created by Polytechnique Montréal, the University of Montreal and HEC Montréal notes that people know the dangers now.
“On the other hand, many don’t know what to do in the event of an attack,” he explains. There are many challenges to overcome in research and in developing victim support services. We must also create training to meet new needs and finally, attract more students to innovate and launch businesses in the field. IMC2 will do all that. »
Computer and software engineers are in high demand in Quebec. In a study carried out in 2021 on the workforce, the OIQ estimated that there would be a deficit of 19% of this type of engineer until 2030. Worse still. Electrical and electronics engineers, with -21%. Chemical engineering is also in deficit by 9%.
Several efforts are being made by the OIQ to seek out more members. Particularly with regard to professionals trained abroad. “Among our recently admitted engineers, nearly 30% were trained abroad,” specifies the president.
Several efforts have been made since 2018 to facilitate access to the profession for candidates coming from countries with which there is no recognition agreement. A skills-based approach to evaluate equivalence requests which looks at the candidate’s educational and professional background has been put in place. Result ? The average assessment time to achieve full equivalence has been reduced from 18 to 6 months. The person then receives training activities to do to compensate for their shortcomings.
The OIQ is also constantly working to attract more women. The 2021 study showed that in the last 15 years, they increased from 11.8% to 14.9% in the profession. In 2023, women will represent 15.6% of OIQ members.
“It’s progressing,” rejoices Sophie Larivière-Mantha. It’s important to seek out different types of people, because the more points of view we have around the table, the more we are able to innovate to meet the needs of society. »
