A third of the graduating students from the emergency pre-hospital care technical program at Cégep de Shawinigan are unable to complete their final internship due to the pressures exerted by ambulance workers.
Students are feeling the repercussions of the strike carried out by thousands of ambulance workers in the province. “We are working very hard to place all of our interns in the field, but it is true that the longer it takes, the more difficulties we encounter,” stated Geneviève Ducharme, the Director of Studies at Cégep de Shawinigan, in an interview with Fin PM.
The 3,300 paramedical technicians belonging to the CSN in Quebec have been without a work contract since April 2023. They have been on strike since July 2025 and are required to maintain essential services, but internship supervision is not included. The Administrative Labor Tribunal recently confirmed this.
“This pressure tactic is one of the few impactful methods we have left, because all the other methods are administrative, such as forms that are not being filled out,” explained Joël Brunelle, the Vice President of Labor Relations for the union representing workers at the Cooperative of Mauricie Ambulance Workers (CAM).
Ambulance workers who are members of the Federation of Quebec Pre-hospital Care Employees (FPHQ) initiated a strike in December. Their collective agreement ended on March 31, 2025.
As a result, the majority of ambulance companies are refusing to supervise interns.
“We aim to train competent students by providing them with quality education, because if they are not competent enough, they will be penalized in the job market,” emphasized Geneviève Ducharme. “Internships are essential as a pedagogical strategy for acquiring essential skills.”
The reduction in internship hours necessary to obtain the diploma is aimed at allowing more students to have workplace learning opportunities.
However, many students will have to wait until summer or even autumn 2026 before they can complete an internship at an ambulance company and attain their diplomas, delaying their entry into the job market.
The implications are also being felt on the morale of future ambulance workers.
“There are many worries, concerns, stress, and even anxiety. Students have worked very hard for several years to reach the final stage and graduation. It is certainly not an easy situation for most of them,” stated a report by Alexandra Fortin.
Provincially, barely a quarter of emergency pre-hospital care graduates found an internship this spring, with only about 100 students out of 400.
(Source: Radio-Canada)
