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  5. Construction Helpers and Labourers

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Construction Helpers and Labourers

On this page

  • Job description
  • Advancement and mobility
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2022-2026
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals work as labourers on construction sites, in quarries, and in mines. They are employed by construction companies, quarries, and mines.

Environment

  • Climatic conditions
  • Equipment, machinery, tools
  • Hazardous chemical
  • Odours
  • Nontoxic dust
  • Uncontrolled ambient temperature
  • Hazardous workplaces
  • Noise
  • Falling objects
  • Vibration

Main tasks

  • Load and unload construction materials and place them in work areas.
  • Erect and dismantle various structures on construction sites (concrete forms, scaffolding, walkways, etc.).
  • Mix, pour, and spread materials (concrete, asphalt, etc.).
  • Operate equipment (hammers, vibrators, pneumatic drumsticks, etc.) as directed.
  • Assist qualified personnel in the execution of their work.
  • Assist in aligning pipes during the construction of oil or gas pipelines.
  • Assist in drilling and rock mining on construction sites.
  • Level the ground to the specified slope.
  • Help demolish buildings and sort, clean, and stack recovered materials.
  • Direct traffic on (or near) the construction site.

Advancement and mobility

  • There is some mobility among workers in this group.
  • Skilled Labourers obtain a Red Seal endorsement upon successful completion of the Interprovincial Examination.

Hourly wage

The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2019 to 2021.
Minimum
$16.25
Median
$28.50
Maximum
$35.27

Job prospects for 2022-2026

sr.comparaison-region.titre

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2022-2026

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2021

All of Québec

28,000

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
5.4% Female
94.6% Male

Not available.
  • 5.4% Female
  • 94.6% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2015

All of Québec

$39,000

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • Seasonal worker
  • Non traditional for women
  • None

All of Québec

  • Seasonal worker
  • Non traditional for women
  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Construction
    NAICS 23
    77% of jobs
  2. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    4% of jobs
  3. Transportation and Warehousing
    NAICS 48, 49
    2% of jobs
  4. Non-Metallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 327
    2% of jobs
  5. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    2% of jobs
  6. Others
    13% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Construction
    NAICS 23
    77% of jobs
  2. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    4% of jobs
  3. Transportation and Warehousing
    NAICS 48, 49
    2% of jobs
  4. Non-Metallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 327
    2% of jobs
  5. Public Administration
    NAICS 91
    2% of jobs
  6. Others
    13% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

No specific training

Also required

  • Certificate of competence for work covered by Act R-20 (Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and manpower management in the construction industry).
  • Labour shortage entry mechanism to obtain an Occupational Skills Certificate for the construction sector.

Sometimes required

  • Experience as a construction labourer is sometimes required.
  • Aqueduct labourer certification may be required.
  • A Class 1, 2, or 3 driver's licence may be required.

Pipeline Mandrel Operator and Preheater Tenders

  • Experience of one season in the construction of gas and oil pipelines is usually required.

Flagger

  • A certificate in traffic control is sometimes required.

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Installation
  • Data collection
  • Information processing
  • Quality control analysis
  • Reading comprehension
  • Active listening
  • Result evaluation
  • Oral expression
  • Critical thought
  • Monitoring operations
  • Troubleshooting
  • Time management
  • Judgment and decision-making
  • Active learning
  • Teaching
  • Equipment maintenance
  • Service oriented
  • Solving complex problems
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Oral comprehension
  • Speech recognition
  • Near vision
  • Written comprehension
  • Verbal skills
  • Awareness of issues
  • Physical flexibility in extension
  • Selective attention
  • Speech clarity
  • Information organization
  • Colour perception and distinction
  • Processing flexibility
  • Hand-arm stability
  • Digital dexterity
  • Distance vision
  • Visualization
  • Classification
  • Manual dexterity
  • Written expression
  • Core strength
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Inductive reasoning
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Focussed on results
  • Capacity to adapt
  • Capacity to work in a team
  • Versatility
  • Rigour
  • Respect standards and regulations
  • Assiduity and punctuality
  • Commitment to quality
  • Tolerance to routine work
  • Timeliness

Interests

  • Make, build, install
  • Work manually
  • Exercer une activité sportive ou physique
  • Work outdoors

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Realistic
People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Conventional
People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Investigative
People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Additional information

Official name of the NOC 7611

Construction trades helpers and labourers

Job titles

  • Construction helper
  • Construction labourer
  • Construction craft labourer
  • Construction worker
  • Trades helper - construction
  • Spray truck helper
  • Road spray truck helper
  • Fitter helper - construction
  • Waterproofer helper
  • Bricklayer helper
  • Refractory bricklayer helper
  • Brickmason's helper
  • Insulator helper
  • Tile setter helper
  • Floor layer's helper
  • Carpenter helper
  • Maintenance carpenter helper
  • Renovation carpenter helper
  • Cement finisher helper
  • Paperhanger helper - construction
  • Concrete paver operator helper
  • Road mixer operator helper
  • Dragline operator helper - crane operation
  • Power shovel operator helper
  • Pile driver operator helper - crane operation
  • Tank builder helper
  • Roofer helper
  • Asphalt roofer helper
  • Metal roofer helper - construction
  • Cabinetmaker's helper
  • Construction electrician helper
  • Tinsmith helper - construction
  • Concrete finisher helper
  • Interior wall finisher helper
  • Terrazzo finisher helper
  • Driller helper - surface mining
  • Diamond driller helper - surface mining
  • Water well driller helper
  • Concrete former helper
  • Dampproofer helper
  • Foundation dampproofer helper
  • Awning installer helper
  • Oil burner installer helper
  • Drywall and acoustical board installer helper
  • Floor coverer helper
  • Access floor installer helper
  • Lightning rod erector helper
  • Vanity and kitchen cupboard installer helper
  • Sider helper
  • Industrial chimney repairman-mason helper
  • Mason's helper
  • Marble setter helper
  • Floorcovering mechanic helper
  • Joiner helper - construction
  • Ironworker helper
  • Rigger's helper - construction
  • Framer helper - construction
  • Steel forms setter helper
  • Steam fitter's helper - construction
  • Ornamental iron erector helper
  • Interior and exterior wall erector helper
  • Ornamental metal worker helper
  • Plate fitter helper - construction
  • Structural plate fitter helper - construction
  • Metal scaffold erector helper
  • Structural steel erector helper
  • Foundation drill operator helper
  • Concrete mixer operator helper
  • Highway concrete mixer operator helper
  • Churn drill operator helper - water well
  • Tunnelling machine operator helper - construction
  • Horizontal earth-boring machine helper
  • Air track drill operator helper
  • Mole operator helper - construction
  • Terrazzo mechanic helper
  • Carpet mechanics helper
  • Pile-driving lead placer helper
  • Glass worker helper - construction
  • Painter helper - construction
  • Building painter helper
  • Pavement line painter helper
  • Painter and decorator helper
  • Plasterer helper
  • Plumber helper
  • Terrazzo polisher helper
  • Floor sander and finisher helper
  • Hoseman insulation helper
  • Carpet layer helper
  • Metal trim erector helper
  • Exterior cladder helper
  • Floorcovering installer helper
  • Sheather helper
  • Terrazzo layer helper
  • Glass setter helper
  • Rotary driller helper - water well
  • Pipeline welder helper
  • Welder-fitter helper - construction
  • Insulation blower helper
  • Sheet metal worker helper - construction
  • Construction trades helper
  • Pipefitter helper - construction
  • Glazier helper
  • Guniter - construction
  • Waterproofer - construction
  • Concrete waterproofer - construction
  • Foundation waterproofer - construction
  • Asphalt cold patcher
  • Asphalt spreader
  • Highway maintenance worker
  • Pile driving chainman
  • Crane hooker
  • Cement gun nozzle operator
  • Foundation form worker
  • Bill poster
  • Bituminous paving machine operator
  • Dope machine operator - pipelines
  • Jackhammer operator - construction
  • Vibrator roller operator
  • Manual curb builder
  • Concrete pourer - construction
  • Concrete block pourer
  • Concrete float pourer
  • Sewer digger
  • Ditch cleaner - construction
  • Grade tamper - construction
  • Concrete breaker
  • Building wrecker
  • Building and house wrecker
  • Form stripper - construction
  • Slinger - construction
  • Pipe doper - construction
  • Asbestos remover
  • Paper latcher - construction
  • Blacktop spreader
  • Post hole driller
  • Gas pipe fuser
  • Smelter liner
  • Door frame installer
  • Pipeline-liner installer
  • Water pipe installer
  • Caulker - construction
  • Grouter
  • Window caulker
  • Pipeline caulker
  • Precast concrete caulker
  • Masonry pointer and caulker
  • Construction labourer and helper
  • Shore dredging labourer
  • Demolition worker
  • Crane chaser
  • Concrete paving labourer
  • Bituminous paving labourer
  • Paving operations labourer
  • Underground labourer - construction
  • Quarry labourer
  • Pit bottom worker
  • Pipeline labourer
  • Deck worker
  • Asphalt plant labourer - construction
  • Excavation labourer
  • Clamper - construction
  • Measurer
  • Terrazzo machine grinder
  • Metal form setter - construction
  • Monument erector
  • Highway sign erector
  • Tombstone erector
  • Scaffolder
  • Brick cleaner
  • Concrete mixer operator - construction
  • Tamper operator
  • Pipe-cleaning and covering machine operator
  • Concrete gun operator
  • Cement gun operator
  • Bending machine operator - pipelines
  • Vibratory compactor operator
  • Concrete spreader operator
  • Air gun operator
  • Grout machine operator
  • Pipeline mandrel operator
  • Pneumatic hammer operator - construction
  • Air breaker operator
  • Pneumatic drill operator - construction
  • Manual concrete vibrator operator
  • Concrete pump operator
  • Mud jack operator
  • Cement pump operator
  • Grout pump operator
  • Insulation blower operator
  • Air tool operator
  • Slip form curb machine tender
  • Power curber tender
  • Cement and concrete pump tender
  • Asbestos worker - construction
  • Asphalt worker - road
  • Bridge gang worker - construction
  • Spreader box tender
  • Manual stone spreader operator
  • Steel form setting worker
  • Preheater tender - pipelines
  • Air lock tender
  • Pile driving ground worker
  • Nozzle worker - pile driving
  • Dredge worker
  • Pipeline worker - construction
  • Pavement line painter
  • Skid setter
  • Skid setter - pipeline construction
  • Manual terrazzo grinder
  • Drywall sander
  • Wallboard sander
  • Road form setter
  • Gas pipelayer - construction
  • Wire mesh setter
  • Reinforcing wire mesh worker
  • Insulation hoseman/woman
  • Monument setter
  • Tombstone setter
  • Stabber - pipeline construction
  • Batterboard setter
  • Seat installer - construction
  • Pipelayer
  • Pipelayer - construction
  • Pipelayer - irrigation
  • Pipelayer - drainage systems
  • Sewage pipelayer
  • Rip-rap placer
  • Asbestos fibre preparer
  • Pipe aligner - pipeline construction
  • Spacer - pipeline construction
  • Quarry dump attendant
  • Gunite mixer - construction
  • Asphalt mixer
  • Asphalt raker
  • Blacktop raker
  • Cupola spray reliner
  • Flagman/woman
  • Insulation blower
  • Trench digger
  • Seam caulker - construction
  • Pavement striper
  • Excavation worker
  • General construction labourer
More Less job titles

Skill type

Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

Related occupations

  • Other trades helpers and labourers

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi This hyperlink will open in a new window.

See also

Non traditional

Hats Off to You!

Last update: March 17, 2023

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