Temporary workers make up 30% of my workforce. It's hard to find skilled workers in Quebec. The training centres are practically empty, so there are no skilled workers graduating in these trades. When I advertise jobs, I hardly get a CV. When I receive them, they're from candidates who are abroad, so it's practically impossible to find any workers. We try every year. I continue to advertise jobs all the time. I recently advertised for welding positions, and I received janitor CVs. Unfortunately, in Quebec, there's a big labour shortage in skilled trades.
Yes, there was a one-year extension, but that's not enough. A year from now, what's the government going to do? Is it going to extend the permits for another year? A year goes by quickly. It often takes six months for workers to apply for a licence renewal. That's six months gone, right there. Then you have to start over and reapply for a licence renewal. That's a problem.
We have enough stress related to the U.S. and the tariffs, and we don't need the added stress of trying to keep our temporary workers. As a woman entrepreneur who's been around for two years, I'd say it's quite complex. We don't need to be stressed by our government about temporary workers. If the government could help us, we'd appreciate it.