Post-secondary teaching and research assistants in Montérégie

The employment outlook will be Moderate for post-secondary teaching and research assistants (NOC 41201) in the Montérégie region for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Employment in this occupation depends on government investment in education, and public and private funding of university research, and the number of students in colleges and universities.

The increase in registrations is mainly due to the volume of students from the school system in Québec, as the contribution of international students is decreasing because of lower intake caps. In addition, the freeze on government investments is forcing post-secondary institutions to contend with limited financial resources.

Meanwhile, the growing demand for skilled labour and the automation of some university jobs through artificial intelligence could deter some young people from pursuing university studies and push them towards shorter vocational or technical training, which is better adapted to employer needs. In addition, the higher cost of living is forcing some people to enter the labour market before they receive their diploma, which could curb post-secondary registrations. However, this trend could be mitigated by economic uncertainty and rising youth unemployment, which encourage students to extend their studies.

Despite these challenges, satellite campuses are expanding rapidly, facilitating access to post-secondary education outside major centers. However, while distance teaching is strengthening its strategic role in integrating digital tools and teacher support, this occupation could be among the first to be affected by budget cuts.

Here are some key facts about post-secondary teaching and research assistants in the Montérégie region:

• Approximately 2,070 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
• Post-secondary teaching and research assistants mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Educational services (NAICS 61): 87%
  • Professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 54): 7%