The under-representation of women in the manufacturing sector has long been known, but it is becoming more of an “acute” problem with a looming shortage of skilled labour in the province.

Sunday, the Quebec Minister of Labour announced financial support of nearly $714,000 for a research project on the inclusion of women in the manufacturing industry.

At a press conference in Montreal, Minister Jean Boulet said the project will be carried out in accordance with Manufacturiers et Exportateurs Québec (MEQ).

According to the agency’s statistics, only 28 per cent of jobs in the industry in Canada were held by women in 2017. In areas linked to production, the rate was even lower, at less than 10 per cent.

“Women tend to think that it is an environment which is not made for them, where one must be very physically strong to support loads, an environment which is dirty, which is not necessarily very innovative,” said Véronique Proulx, President and CEO of MEQ.

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