Government Operations Committee on May 1st, 2019

[Emily Rowe]

No.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

So, they have not advertised it enough.

On another issue, you have a friend, Mr. McKenna, who doesn't have a job. The director general of human resources at Veterans Affairs said that at the Invictus Games applications were brought and people who were hired didn't want to be employed with whatever department it was.

Is there some gap in understanding what a veteran needs and the skill sets that could be translated to whatever jobs. When you leave the military, you receive six months advance notice, is there any career counselling that takes place to say, “Here is how you can transition”? Does VIA Rail come and say, “Come to me”, or does anybody come and say, “Here is what's available”, whether in the private sector or elsewhere?

The skill sets you talked about, anybody would die for the skill sets that were accumulated. There is a huge disconnect. What would you suggest?

[Brian McKenna]

I'll say two things on that. There is a process, the SCAN seminar does occur. It occurs across the country on various bases. First of all, reservists aren't on various bases. When you look at something that is regular force only, you're knocking off a third of the military. They won't get access to that.

While I remain a huge fan of the Invictus Games, there's one Invictus Games yet we're in every community across this country. I routinely even remind the government, when I speak to other committees, just putting something on the Internet, for example, is still a limiting answer when you go to our brothers in indigenous communities and northern communities that are still working to get a proper Internet connection.

It is not an easy solution to get information out. I would look to our brothers and sisters and organizations like the Legion. There should be a yellow pages-style directory at every organization that qualifies itself as a veterans' group. This is one of the things that's needed because it's very difficult to actually reach out and pass that message.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Ms. Rowe and Mr. Harris, when you left the military, were you aware of the training available? Were you aware there was a job fair, a career fair, that was done, according to Veterans Affairs, and that it actually tried to get people to sign up for jobs. Were you aware of that?

[Sgt Matthew Harris]

I'm just going to start off by saying I am still a reservist. I'm still serving. I got this job with CBSA while I was still serving in the military as a reservist, so I don't think that pertains to me so much.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

How about Ms. Rowe?

[Emily Rowe]

I was not aware either. I was still currently serving when I got a job at CBSA as well, but I had no knowledge of that, no.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

It behooves us to ensure that everybody is informed. Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you very much.

We'll now go to Mr. McCauley for five minutes, please.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Thanks for the feedback you're giving us. It's very helpful.

Mr. Harris and Ms. Rowe, just quickly, a lot of the witnesses whom we've had come forward who were able to leave the military and enter the public service were from CBSA. It looks as if maybe they're doing it better than the other departments.

Do you think that's a cultural thing, or do you get feedback maybe from other veterans that CBSA is doing it better than other departments? It may just be anecdotal information, of course.

[Sgt Matthew Harris]

I can't speak for other people on why they joined. To me, it seemed like a very natural transition. I joined CBSA just before 9/11, and I already had about nine years in the military at the time. I was really looking for a strong career that would help me support my wife and family, and I happened to find this job. I'm from the Niagara region, so there's a lot of people—

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

The reason I asked is that we had Veterans Affairs here who said there is no hiring quota. Every department is left on its own. No one is in charge of enforcing the rules that require us to give priorities to veteran hiring. Some departments seem to be doing it better than others, but there is no one really in charge within the government to say, “Get these vets hired”. I'm just curious.

Again, most of the witnesses we had who said they'd been able to transition into work in the public service.... It was a small sample, but it has been CBSA. I was just curious, anecdotally, if you've heard from any of the others, you or Ms. Rowe.

[Emily Rowe]

I think probably one of the reasons you've seen a larger turnout of CBSA members for this committee specifically is that we are one of the few agencies that don't have the one for one, so it is a hot topic for us. As I mentioned, I had a friend who was in the Coast Guard and he has his service counted, so I don't think you would see him wanting to speak necessarily or having anything to add today. Maybe that's one of the reasons you've seen more CBSA members wanting to participate in this.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Great.

This is a question for any of you, because you've all served. When we had Veterans Affairs here, they said one of the difficulties getting veterans into jobs is that they aren't willing to move. When I think of a veteran leaving the service, I think of someone leaving Petawawa, Cold Lake or other more remote areas. I found it difficult to believe they weren't willing to move, or weren't wanting to move to the major cities in Canada.

I'm wondering, and again it might just be anecdotal, but it sounded to me more of an excuse rather than a reason why the government is having difficulty hiring veterans.

Mr. Fauteux, do you want to speak?

[Jacques Fauteux]

What's not known by a lot of companies is that, if a member has served for more than 10 years—I think, but remind me—he or she is allowed to have an all-expenses-paid move back to the place of origin where they were recruited. Can you imagine if a business has a need in either Cold Lake or anywhere else? The Government of Canada will help that member relocate, but there are two solitudes. Does the Department of Veterans Affairs speak to the Department of National Defence on that transition? I think the reason they created the transition group in National Defence was to address those very questions.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. McKenna, can you add to that?

[Brian McKenna]

I have nothing to add on, my friend.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Harris or Ms. Rowe...?

[Emily Rowe]

In this process with CBSA, when you get hired, it takes about three months within the four-month training process to get the port you're going to, and it's a random process. It's not merit-based. In other words, you can't get to the top of the class and pick the place you want to go. A lot of the postings that are available are very isolated positions, and that's the risk you are taking when you apply to CBSA. That is well known at the beginning of the hiring process, but I think that's why you're probably not getting as many as you'd like coming in the door in the first place.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I just have 30 seconds, so I'll just skip over to Mr. Blaikie.

Oh, have you finished? Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Well, you have only—

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I'm sorry. I'm not going to be able to ask a question in 30 seconds.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

It's nice to see where your allegiances are. That's comforting.

Mr. Jowhari, you will be our final intervenor. You have five minutes.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

I just wanted to hear a good question.

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Thank you, Mr. McCauley. I'll remember that.