Paid Construction Training: Who is Eligible?

Studying a construction trade while maintaining a salary is now possible in certain programs administered by the Commission de la construction du Québec. The program is real, but it does not function like a scholarship automatically offered to all students in a DEP.

You must be admitted to a targeted cohort, be linked to an eligible company, and maintain a valid work permit with the CCQ. The salary comes from the employer. The announced subsidy, which can reach up to $25,000 per participant, is intended to support the company during class hours.

Here is what workers and employers need to understand before filling out a form or promising a spot.

The short answer: yes, you can be paid during the DEP

In the paid work-study program of the CCQ, the participant remains linked to a construction company. They receive a salary during their attendance at the courses required by the vocational training centre and during their internships on construction sites.

It is not the school that pays an allowance, and it is not the CCQ that deposits $25,000 into the worker's account. The employer pays the person. A wage subsidy can then support the company, up to the limit set by the program.

The program leads to a genuine vocational studies diploma. It combines CFP teaching, employment, and paid internships so that the person can develop their skills without having to choose between income and training.

What this program is, and what it is not

It is a pilot job training project administered by the CCQ with the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity, the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail, and participating CFPs. The funding comes from the short-term training program, often called COUD.

It is not a general right granted to all construction students. Enrolling in a regular DEP does not automatically make you an employee. A paid cohort must be confirmed in the trade and region, a CFP must admit the candidate, and an eligible employer must hire them or provide a letter of commitment.

It is also not an ordinary work-study program. The central difference is the payment of class hours by the employer in the program supported by the CCQ.

Which trades and DEPs are targeted?

The CCQ identifies five priority programs: bricklaying-masonry, 900 hours; carpentry-joinery, 1,350 hours; electricity, 1,800 hours; plumbing and heating, 1,680 hours; refrigeration, 1,800 hours.

They lead to the trades of bricklayer-mason, carpenter-joiner, electrician, pipefitter, and refrigeration technician. To compare roles before choosing, the ConstruMD guide on construction trades and occupations in Quebec presents the tasks and pathways.

A cohort is not automatically opened for each trade and each region. The choice depends on needs, local partners, the capacity of the CFP, and the number of interested people and employers.

Who is eligible as a worker?

Personal conditions

At the time of registration, you must be at least 16 years old, be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and meet the educational prerequisites of the DEP. The CFP evaluates admission and may require tests, particularly in French or placement.

Age, completed education, and the targeted program may change the required documents. Our guide on the educational prerequisites for construction trades helps prepare the process, but the admission decision belongs to the CFP.

The mandatory employment link

The person must work for an eligible construction company registered with the CCQ or have obtained a letter of commitment from this company. A candidate without an employer can express interest, but the form does not replace this employment link.

The company is part of the program: it pays the salary, participates in organizing the alternation, and hosts the person during work or internship periods.

The right to work with the CCQ

The participant must have a valid work permit with the CCQ and maintain it throughout the program. The program specifically targets holders of an apprentice competency certificate, journeymen from another trade, holders of an exemption, and students who can obtain an apprentice certificate as a student.

A DEP, a letter of commitment, and a CCQ card are three different things. The official page on the competency certificate explains the role of the certificate. The employer can also consult our guide on hiring a person who does not yet have their CCQ card.

Who pays the salary?

The employer pays the worker. The CCQ indicates that the person must be paid throughout their program, including during their attendance at the required CFP courses. The program then offers financial support to the employer for part of this remuneration.

The amount of $25,000 is a maximum announced per participant, not a guaranteed salary and not a bonus given to the worker. The total cost may be higher depending on the duration, schedule, agreed rate, and applicable charges.

The public page of the CCQ does not set a single rate for all classroom hours. Before final registration, parties should obtain in writing the rate applied to courses, pay frequency, deductions, benefits, hour reporting, and the consequences of absence or withdrawal.

How are on-site internships paid?

The CCQ specifies that internships are paid and conducted in accordance with collective agreements. On the site, the trade, sector, apprentice status, region, and nature of the work determine the applicable rules.

Therefore, classroom hours should not be confused with hours worked on a subject site. For the latter, the employer must comply with its obligations regarding pay, hiring, monthly reporting, registry, and apprentice-journeyman ratio. These responsibilities are summarized in the official section Being an Employer of the CCQ.

The worker should verify that their trade, status, and hours appear correctly on their documents. Our reference on CCQ pay and deductions helps distinguish between gross salary, employee deductions, and employer contributions.

Which cohorts are ongoing in October 2026?

A daytime cohort in carpentry-joinery began on September 21, 2026, at the CFP of Haute-Matawinie, in Lanaudière. Another daytime cohort of the same DEP is set to begin on October 21, 2026, at CFP Qualitech, in Mauricie–Bois-Francs.

The official announcement of June 2026 specified 24 places in Haute-Matawinie, some of which were reserved as a priority for members of the Atikamekw community of Manawan, and 22 places at Qualitech. However, the current CCQ page classifies these cohorts among those whose registrations are closed or already started.

A person discovering the program today should not assume they can enter the October 21 cohort. They can express their interest for a future cohort and prepare their admission and employment conditions.

The interest form is not a registration

Filling out the form allows the CCQ and its partners to gauge demand and communicate with the concerned individuals, companies, or CFPs. It does not reserve a spot or guarantee the start of a group.

Actual registration is done with the targeted CFP when the cohort is confirmed. The company's eligibility, school admission, and work rights are then verified. A company should not promise a subsidy before the program is confirmed.

Steps for a candidate

1. Choose a priority trade

Check the tasks, physical requirements, DEP duration, and prospects. You must succeed in academic learning while maintaining an employment relationship.

2. Verify prerequisites with the CFP

Request the exact list of documents, possible tests, schedule, and attendance rules before making a commitment.

3. Find an eligible employer

You must be employed or obtain a letter of commitment. Offers with a 150-hour guarantee can help identify employers ready to support a structured entry, but this guarantee does not automatically mean the company participates in the paid program.

4. Validate CCQ work rights

The certificate or exemption must match your situation and remain valid. School admission does not automatically resolve this step.

5. Fill out the interest form

Use the official CCQ form, then wait for instructions from the CFP and CCQ before considering your spot confirmed.

6. Read the agreement before starting

Check the rate, schedule, vacations, absences, internship hours, tools, travel, and employment maintenance obligations.

What the employer must plan

The company must be registered with the CCQ, comply with its compliance obligations, employ the person or provide them with a letter of commitment, and then pay them throughout the program.

It should calculate the full cost: salary during courses, salary and benefits on-site, supervision, equipment, travel, and administration. The subsidy reduces the cost but does not turn the training into free labour.

The potential gain is to train a graduate who already knows the company. In an industry that will need to recruit about 17,000 people per year according to the CCQ 2026-2030 outlook, this path can support recruitment and retention.

Points to confirm in writing

Before starting, confirm the cohort, CFP, classroom rate, on-site rate, tools, absences, declared hours, subsidy request, and consequences of employment termination.

The program combines school rules, an employment relationship, CCQ work rights, and internships subject to collective agreements. A verbal promise like "you will be paid to go to school" is not enough.

What happens after the DEP

The diploma confirms the training, but progression continues according to apprenticeship rules. The worker accumulates hours, progresses through periods, and must eventually meet the requirements to become a journeyman.

The program does not guarantee permanent employment or an annual number of hours after graduation. Its value lies in allowing recognized training while being paid and already integrated into a company.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can any student receive a salary?

No. A targeted cohort, an eligible employer, admission to the CFP, and a valid CCQ work right are required.

Does the worker receive $25,000?

No. This is a maximum wage subsidy intended to support the employer. The worker receives their salary from the company.

Can you participate without an employer?

You can express your interest, but registration requires employment or a letter of commitment from an eligible company.

Does the form guarantee a spot?

No. It is not a registration and does not guarantee that a cohort will start.

Are internships paid?

Yes. The CCQ indicates that on-site internships are paid and subject to applicable collective agreements.

Is the October 2026 cohort still open?

The current CCQ page lists this cohort among those whose registrations are closed. The form now mainly serves to prepare future courses.

Key Points

The program truly allows you to be paid during a DEP, but only in a confirmed cohort and with an eligible employer. The salary comes from the employer, the subsidy can reach up to $25,000 to support the company, and internships remain subject to collective agreements.

The priority checks are admission to the CFP, the employment link, and the CCQ work rights. As long as these elements are not confirmed, an expression of interest form remains an initial step, not a registration.