Over 2,500 participants showed up for the second edition of the Réseau des ingénieurs du Québec's Career Fair and the Engineer-IT Career Fair, presented jointly on April 17 and 18 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. I am very proud of this initiative, which proved once again to be a unique opportunity for employers and engineers to showcase their talents and discuss their respective needs.

If you have not yet heard about our recent survey of approximately 200 of Quebec's 500 biggest engineering employers, you'll be pleased to learn that these firms are collectively forecasting a 12% staff increase in 2008. In addition, 63% of these expected 2,657 new hires will result from the creation of new positions.

The forecast for new engineering graduates is identical, with at least 62% of our survey respondents saying they plan to hire people out of school in 2008. This translates to 983 graduates with new jobs. What's more, the large majority of these hires (i.e. close to 78%) is due to new positions being created.

All in all, engineers are a precious commodity and will continue to be, since the number of new engineering graduates is dwindling. The Réseau des ingénieurs du Québec is actively encouraging youngsters to choose this field as a career path, and together, we must strive to achieve proper recognition for our profession's expertise and vitality.

In conclusion, I am pleased to announce that the Réseau des ingénieurs' next Career Fair will be held September 25 and 26, 2008 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. We're also planning another edition in Quebec City this fall.

Once again, I hope to see you there!