The trade
What a millwright does.
Millwrights install, repair, adjust, assemble, and disassemble industrial machinery on construction sites, including conveyors, turbines, wind turbines, compressors, and production lines. They also fabricate jigs and carry out the lifting, machining, and welding work needed to commission or maintain equipment.
CCQ rate
$27.22 – $48.45 / hour (journeyperson: $45.45 civil engineering, $48.37 industrial, $45.36 residential; May 2025 data)
Wage rates are set by Quebec construction industry collective agreements and vary by sector (industrial, civil engineering and roads, institutional-commercial, residential). If there's any discrepancy, the official collective agreement text takes precedence over any other tool. Check the official current grid at ccq.org or via the CCQ's wage rate tool.
Why it's tight
The pool is thin. Speed makes the difference.
In 2024, 1,042 millwrights were active on Quebec job sites, with an average age of 42.7 — a marked sign of an aging workforce and upcoming retirements. New apprentice admissions jumped to 106 in 2024, against a 2020-2023 average of 67 per year, pointing to rising demand but also a replacement pool that's still short. Major industrial and infrastructure projects (wind farms, plants, civil engineering sites) keep steady pressure on recruiting, and 38% of workers in this trade travel between regions to meet demand.
That's exactly where Aplomb wins: Audrey activates candidates in under 2 minutes, 24/7. While others call back the next day, your millwright is already talking to us.
What we check
Before it lands on your desk.
- Hold a CCQ apprentice (CCA) or journeyperson (CCC) competency certificate
- Have passed the General Construction Site Health and Safety course (ASP Construction)
- Practical skill with heavy lifting, rigging, welding, and basic machining
- Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, system schematics, and maintenance procedures
- Experience in the industrial or civil engineering sector, particularly on rotating equipment, conveyors, or turbines
Competency card
How a millwright qualifies.
This trade is regulated by the CCQ. Entry into the trade is through the apprentice competency certificate (CCA), issued on presentation of the DEP in Industrial Construction and Maintenance Mechanics (program 5260, 1,800 hours) and a job guarantee of at least 150 hours over 3 consecutive months with a CCQ-registered employer. The apprentice must complete 3 periods of 2,000 hours each (6,000 hours total), then pass the provincial qualification exam to earn the journeyperson competency certificate (CCC). The exam runs 3 hours, covers 61 questions, and requires a 60% pass threshold. The ratio on the books is 2 journeypersons per apprentice in industrial, institutional-commercial, and civil engineering and roads; on site, a minimum of 1 journeyperson per apprentice is required daily.
Frequently asked questions
Hiring a millwright, plainly.
How many apprentices can I have relative to my journeypersons on site?
The ratio on the books is 2 journeypersons per apprentice in industrial, institutional-commercial, and civil engineering and roads. On site, you need at least 1 journeyperson present to supervise 1 apprentice daily. A journeyperson can oversee up to 2 apprentices if the apprentice is in their final period or is a woman.
What card should I require when hiring a millwright?
You need to require either the apprentice competency certificate (CCA) or the journeyperson competency certificate (CCC) issued by the CCQ. Without one of those cards, a worker legally can't work in this trade on CCQ-regulated sites.
Is it hard to find qualified millwrights right now?
Yes, the labour supply is tight. In 2024, only 169 companies were splitting 1,042 active workers, with an average age of 42.7. Retirements are picking up. New apprentice recruitment is rising (106 admitted in 2024), but the 6,000-hour path to journeyperson creates a lag between demand and supply.
Get started
Need a millwright?
Leave your info. We'll call you back quickly to understand the role — and tell you how we'll fill it, guarantee included.
- Clear mandate, no surprise quotes.
- 90-day replacement guarantee.
- We respond to candidates in <2 min, 24/7.
Hire a millwright
We'll call you back quickly. No surprise quotes.
Also by region
millwrights in your area.
We recruit across Québec. See the candidate job pages by region for this trade.