Three Routes Start
Apprenticeship

Powerline technician

DEP Montage de lignes électriques (900 h) + CCQ apprenticeship or Hydro-Québec apprenti monteur

22 of 30 verified for Quebec; "start something" routes use national figures · How we verify
Quebec works differently: trades are a nearly free DEP then a CCQ apprenticeship; college is a 3-year DEC at a cégep (tuition-free for residents); university is 3 years after a 2-year pre-university DEC. Numbers from IMT en ligne, CCQ, FIQ scales and the Relance surveys.
Years to credential1
First real paycheque~10 months
Time in a classroom15%
Total cost$1,600
Typical debt after$0
Demand in QuebecHigh

The first ten years

schoolearnearnearnearnearnearnearnearnearn
Mostly in schoolEarning

Earnings by year, roughly

What's in "net by year 10"
Earnings, years 1 to 10$794k$52,700 rising to $90,000 by year five, flat after
Program cost−$2ktuition and fees
Typical (medians)$793kthe number on the card
Low to high$673k to $912kpay 15% under or over the median, cost 15% more or 10% less

Not counted: income tax, rent, food, loan interest, inflation, and unemployment gaps. They apply to every route, so they change the size of each number more than the order. Pay is the Quebec median before tax from the sources on this page.

The picture

What the day-to-day isBuilding and repairing the electrical grid. Outdoors, in crews, physically demanding.
What actually stops peopleVery competitive; utilities hire few apprentices and want a pre-apprenticeship or college prep program.
The downsideHeights, storms and live lines. Callouts at 3 a.m. after ice storms are the job.
If you're the parentAmong the highest-paid trades with utility-level benefits and pensions. Getting in is the hard part.
Local opportunities in Quebec

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How to enter

What you need
  • Average around 65+
Deadlines in Quebec
  • DEP (diplôme d'études professionnelles) through your school board, intakes in fall and winter; then CCQ for construction trades
  • Secondary 4 or 5 can start a DEP

Next steps in Quebec

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In QuebecStart pay is an estimate (no 2026 apprentice rate published). Short 900-hour DEP; Hydro-Québec is year-round.
www.ccq.org · www.quebec.ca

◐ Partly verified CCQ trade sheet (DEP 5185); IMT 72203 wages (min $29.30, median $43.27/h); MESS Diagnostic 2025-2029: léger déficit

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