The Minister for Labour, Employment, and Social Solidarity, Jean Boulet, was in Montreal Tuesday to announce a $2.6 million investment to contribute to the training of 802 employees in the visual arts and animation sector.

Rodeo FX and Scanline VFX are the companies that will benefit from this investment.

"It is important in this time of manpower shortage to invest in the training of your employees in order to recruit better employees, to retain them, and to make sure they will stick with you for a longer period of time," said Boulet.

Rodeo FX, a Quebec company with offices in Montreal, Munich, and Los Angeles, will get $2 million investment to train 300 existing employees, as well as hiring 302 new employees for expansion projects.

Scanline VFX will receive close to $670,000 for studio development in Montreal, following the hiring and subsequent training of 200 employees. With studios located worldwide, Scanline VFX, a German-based company, hopes to benefit from the creative local talent.

The animation and visual arts sector employs 36,590 full-time employees in Quebec.