Major project

Matawinie Mine: status, trades and hiring

Updated September 27, 2026

Status: Construction start announced, as of May 19, 2026

Nouveau Monde Graphite will integrate the mine with a battery material plant in Bécancour, Québec.

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On May 19, 2026, the Government of Canada and Nouveau Monde Graphite announced that construction has started. The Matawinie Mine is an open-pit graphite mine in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Québec. The federal government says the mine will create more than 1,000 new jobs, from engineering to the skilled trades.

Find job postings

Werko does not track job postings for the Matawinie Mine yet.

Nouveau Monde Graphite’s careers page has a form called the local and Indigenous workforce directory. The form connects people who want to work on the mine’s construction site with the company’s suppliers and subcontractors.

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How hiring works on Québec construction sites

In Québec’s construction industry, employers use the Carnet référence construction to ask for worker referrals. It is run by the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ). The Carnet uses the worker profiles the CCQ holds. A complete profile improves your chances of being referred to a job that meets your expectations. You open your profile through the CCQ’s online services.

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Where the work is

The Matawinie Mine is an open-pit graphite mine in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Québec[1]
Nouveau Monde Graphite will integrate the mine with a battery material plant in Bécancour, Québec[2]

Trades typical for an open-pit graphite mine

Heavy Equipment Operator (Excavator)
Heavy Duty Equipment Technician
Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)
Industrial Electrician
Welder
Heavy Equipment Operator (Dozer)
Steamfitter/Pipefitter
Instrumentation and Control Technician
Construction Electrician

These trades are typical for this kind of project, not jobs posted at the Matawinie Mine.

Tickets you need in Québec

To work in the Québec construction industry covered by Act R-20, you need a competency certificate. There are three types:

An apprentice certificate, for people apprenticing in a trade.
A journeyman certificate, for people who are qualified in a construction trade.
An occupation certificate, for labourers and specialized labourers.

The Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) also recognizes some trade qualification certificates. Québec’s labour ministry (MTESS) issues them.

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How many jobs

The federal government made a forecast on May 19, 2026. It said the mine will create more than 1,000 new jobs, from engineering to the skilled trades.

This is a forecast, not open jobs.

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Who is building it

Nouveau Monde Graphite is developing the mine[1]

First Nations

In 2024, the Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan signed an Impact Benefit Agreement with Nouveau Monde Graphite. The agreement covers collaboration on Atikamekw culture, the environment, training, employment, business opportunities and financial benefits.