The trade
What a carpenter does.
Carpenters build and install a building's wood and metal structures: wall, floor, and roof framing, formwork, exterior cladding, doors, windows, stairs, interior partitions, and built-in millwork. They work on job sites of every size, from small residential to large institutional and industrial projects.
CCQ rate
Per the CCQ collective agreement
Carpenter wage rates are set by CCQ collective agreements and vary by sector (residential, institutional-commercial, industrial, civil engineering and roads) and apprenticeship period. Check the official current grid directly on the CCQ site: ccq.org, Wages and Rates section.
Why it's tight
The pool is thin. Speed makes the difference.
The CCQ counted 55,280 active carpentry workers in 2024, against only 3,899 new apprentices admitted that year — well below the annual average of 5,263. Industry-wide, the CCQ projects a need for 17,000 new recruits per year for 2024-2028, combining retirements and growing work volume. The average age in the trade is 37.7, and women make up only 2.6% of the workforce, leaving significant room to widen the recruiting pool. Strong demand in housing and major institutional projects across Quebec keeps this trade at the top of the recruiting priority list.
That's exactly where Aplomb wins: Audrey activates candidates in under 2 minutes, 24/7. While others call back the next day, your carpenter is already talking to us.
What we check
Before it lands on your desk.
- Valid CCQ competency card (apprentice or journeyperson, trade 160)
- General Construction Site Health and Safety course (30 hours, ASP Construction)
- Ability to read and interpret plans and technical specs
- Experience in the target sector (residential, ICI, or civil engineering)
- DEP in Carpentry (program 5319) or a CCQ-recognized equivalent
Competency card
How a carpenter qualifies.
The CCQ issues two competency cards for this trade. The apprentice card (CCA) is earned after a DEP in Carpentry (1,350 hours, program 5319) and a job guarantee of 150 hours over three consecutive months with a registered employer. The journeyperson card (CCC) requires 6,000 hours across three apprenticeship periods of 2,000 hours each, followed by the provincial qualification exam. Separate specialties (formworker, deep foundation installer, floor sander-finisher) require only 4,000 hours (two periods). The apprentice-to-journeyperson ratio is 1:1 across all sectors; in industrial, institutional-commercial, and civil engineering, a journeyperson can supervise two apprentices if one is in their final period or one is a woman.
Frequently asked questions
Hiring a carpenter, plainly.
What apprentice-to-journeyperson ratio do I need to respect for this trade?
Across all sectors, the base rule is one journeyperson per apprentice on the same workday. In industrial, institutional-commercial, and civil engineering and roads, a journeyperson can supervise two apprentices if one is in their final apprenticeship period or one is a woman. In residential, the ratio stays strictly 1:1.
Is the shortage real? Is it hard to recruit a journeyperson carpenter right now?
Yes, the pressure is real and documented by the CCQ. In 2024, only 3,899 new apprentices were admitted into the trade, well below the annual average of 5,263. With 55,280 active workers and an average age of 37.7, retirements will pick up. The CCQ lets you activate a regional 'shortage alert' to get notified as soon as a labour pool opens.
Can I hire someone without a CCQ card if I put them through training?
No. On sites governed by the R-20 Act, every worker must hold a valid CCQ competency card before starting work. The CCQ does provide entry paths for people without a DEP (labour pools, experience recognition) — but the card has to be issued before the first hour on site.
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Also by region
carpenters in your area.
We recruit across Québec. See the candidate job pages by region for this trade.