On May 8, 2008, I once again had the privilege of representing the Réseau des ingénieurs du Québec at the Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE). I took the opportunity to deliver a speech in which I reiterated how important it was for our respective organizations to cooperate further, most notably since RéseauIQ and OSPE members are dealing with many similar issues.

Among these is the transformation of engineering work in the current globalization context. In connection with this, I spoke about the publication of two RéseauIQ studies - one on the offshoring of high-knowledge jobs and the other on the industrial sector. I reminded our Ontario colleagues of certain findings and recommendations from those studies, and explained how crucial it was for Quebec to implement a strong and coherent industrial policy based on innovation, investment and productivity, with a focus on sustainable development.

Furthermore, now that the strong Canadian dollar is reducing the competitiveness of our U.S. exports, and faced with Asian competition and a local manpower shortage, we must consolidate and develop new markets. In this context, I pointed out that the RéseauIQ supports stronger inter-provincial trade to increase business and open up markets for our companies.

I also mentioned that now is the time to make adjustments in order to create a more flexible workplace where engineers will be a force of change within companies. As a result, I indicated that professional training remains one of the Réseau's priorities and, as you already know, our training program is currently expanding. I also spoke about the importance of encouraging more young people to study in engineering, and of working harder to give foreign-educated engineers their first job opportunities here in Canada.

In summary, this visit with the OSPE allowed me to update our Ontario colleagues on the RéseauIQ's achievements in the past year, and also to talk about our daily work and the challenges ahead. I'd also like to remind you that your Réseau is always open to your ideas and opinions, which you can share with me at _dmel_cHJlc2lkZW50QHJlc2VhdUlRLnFjLmNh_fmel_.