Hire a heavy equipment mechanic in Québec.

The pool is small: 371 mechanics were active on job sites in 2024, against 149 companies recruiting at the same time. New talent is entering slowly (16 new apprentices in 2024 vs. an average of 29). This trade is under real pressure — you need to position yourself early and retain your people. Part of the shortage traces back to training capacity, since these workers need 6,000 apprenticeship hours across three periods before they can sit the provincial exam. With the average active mechanic now 42.6 years old, retirements are likely to tighten the pool further before new graduates can catch up. The skill set required is broad too — diesel, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, and electronic systems all come into play — which is worth screening for beyond the certificate itself.

For this trade, the CCQ sets a 1:1 ratio — every journeyperson on site can supervise one apprentice. Under certain conditions (apprentice in final period or a female apprentice), that ratio can go up to 2 apprentices per journeyperson. It's important to factor that into your staffing plans. Given how few new apprentices are entering the trade — just 16 in 2024, against an average of 29 in prior years — using the higher allowed ratio when conditions permit can help you train more people per journeyperson on staff. Civil engineering and roads, which accounts for 84% of the trade's work volume, is where you'll most often need that flexibility. Since civil engineering and roads makes up 84% of this trade's work volume, that's usually where the ratio question comes up most for employers.

Heavy equipment mechanics work mainly in civil engineering and roads (84% of volume), but also in industrial and institutional-commercial. Residential is marginal (practically 0%). Make sure your CCQ agreements actually cover the sectors you operate in. That heavy weighting toward civil engineering and roads also shapes the pay scale: journeyperson rates run $49.95/h there, versus $48.94/h in industrial and institutional-commercial and $46.33/h in residential, as of April 26, 2026. With 42% of mechanics already working outside their home region, sector coverage in your agreement matters more than local geography. That sector split also shapes pay: journeyperson rates run $49.95/h in civil engineering and roads, $48.94/h in industrial and institutional-commercial, and just $46.33/h in residential as of April 26, 2026. With 42% of mechanics already working outside their home region, sector coverage often matters more to your recruiting than local geography.