The Cégep provides a college education to over 8,000 students per year. The Cégep is an active participant in the agri-business industry through its dietetics (nutrition consultations), biomedical analysis and animal health programs.

The Cégep also offers a laboratory technology program with a specialisation in biotechnology, accredited in May 2001 by the Ministry of Education of Québec – the first college program of its kind in the Montérégie region. The first students to complete the program will graduate in May 2006. This comprehensive training will prepare them to work in various scientific sectors including pharmaceutical, agri-food, medical and environmental analysis or research. As technologists, they will be able to handle virus, bacteria, cells, DNA, enzymes, antibodies and chemicals commonly used in biotechnology laboratories. They will also perform research on current biotechnology issues, such as detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO), use of living organisms in the food industry, environmental improvements, and diseases screening and treatment (cancer, AIDS, etc.). The technologists will work on multiple projects involving genetics, molecular biology, immunology and microbiology technologies. This training will allow them to meet the demands of the new economy industries.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Université de Montréal (FVM) stands out because of its unique strategic position, at the crossroads of the Anglo-Saxon and French cultures in North America. The only French-language faculty of veterinary medicine in North America, it takes full advantage of its dual affiliation: it is a member of the Association des établissements d’enseignement vétérinaire totalement ou partiellement de langue française and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges.

Some 300 students pursue undergraduate vocational training, together with more than 100 graduate students. The research expertise of the FVM has been recognised both within and outside the country, particularly in the areas of animal reproduction, swine infectious diseases and equine medicine. The faculty recently inaugurated the Institut de biotechnologie vétérinaire et agroalimentaire (Institute of Veterinary and Agri-Food Biotechnology, IBVA) along with specialized chairs in poultry research and meat safety. Additional chairs are in the preparatory phase.

The Institut de technologie agroalimentaire de Saint-Hyacinthe (ITA)

The Institut de technologie agroalimentaire de Saint-Hyacinthe (Agricultural, Horticultural and Food Technology Institute, ITA) was inaugurated in 1962 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Sciences of Québec (MAPAQ) to provide sufficient and qualified personnel to provincial biotechnology and food science industry. This school is specialised in agriculture, horticulture and food processing, and has become the premier French-language agri-food technology institution in North America.

The ITA provides college-level vocational education in stock production, agricultural equipment, food processing, horticulture and environmental technologies, as well as landscaping, ornamental horticulture, and administration and operation of agricultural firms. The ITA’s teaching programs also meet agri-industry demands for advanced personnel training.

What’s more, the ITA is specialized in continuing education and technological development and transfer. The ITA’s expertise is exported in over 25 industrialised or developing countries through international cooperation and development projects.