Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 2nd, 2023

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Paul Guindon]

Yes, the percentage has stabilized, as we expected, for many reasons. The demographic bubble has sort of deflated now. The economy is such that more people are looking for work. Also, we are recruiting extensively, using all available recruiting means you can think of.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

You mentioned that you have a program for military spouses. Can you tell us a little more about that and what it entails? How many spouses do you have employed currently?

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Paul Guindon]

It's also family members of veterans.

Do you have those numbers?

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Harry Harsch]

I do.

As it stands right now, we have 180 veteran spouses. This figure is low, because we just started to try to get to the bottom of how many veteran spouses we actually have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to finish the thoughts on that, but maybe we'll get a moment or two after the panel is done.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Yes. Thank you.

Now I would like to invite MP Sean Casey for five minutes.

Go ahead, please.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'm going to start with you, Ms. Lowther.

In July 2019 your organization was awarded $840,000 from the veteran and family well-being fund to support your operations for a Beacon of Hope program. I have a couple of questions.

First of all, could you tell us a bit about the Beacon of Hope program?

Second, are there lessons to be learned from that program that should be incorporated into a national veterans hiring strategy?

[Debbie Lowther]

The Beacon of Hope program is actually just what we do every day. Unfortunately for us, when we're applying for funding, we are asked for a project or a program. Our entire organization is a project, so the Beacon of Hope is basically what we do regularly: supporting veterans to help maintain their housing, to get into new housing or during any other forms of crisis. In doing that, we have had the opportunity to realize that there are a lot of veterans who have the ability to work, but they have difficulty getting there. There are organizations out there that help. There is Forces@WORK. There's Helmets to Hardhats.

They don't work for every veteran. It's important to realize that no two veterans are the same, so the strategy is going to be complex and difficult, and I know that, but I think there should be a component of the strategy to address those who are maybe not less employable but who are more difficult to employ. There should be something included for them.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Thank you.

I hope at some point in this we're going to have a chance to talk more about the Helmets to Hardhats program. Where I come from, in Prince Edward Island, we have 1,200 vacant construction jobs and a vacancy rate that is one-half of the national average. Getting more people into the construction trades from whatever corner we can look to, including veterans, is something that's a win-win.

I'm going to go to the gentlemen from the commissionaires. You recently published an article called “What veterans want in their post-service career”. Can you tell us a bit about that?

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Harry Harsch]

Last year, commissionaires partnered with an independent research company, Environics, as you no doubt saw, to learn about the characteristics, values and motivations of veterans. When it comes to making career choices, the research found that most veterans prioritize work-life balance, the opportunity to help others and stability. Being involved in work that makes a difference was the common theme in the interviews with veterans, and that certainly was what drew me personally to commissionaires as well. This is something that veterans have valued in their military career and something they're looking for as they retire.

This research was helpful for us in the sense that it helped answer questions about the types of employment veterans are looking for, what's important to them and how we can continue to meet the evolving employment needs of veterans.

I could go on. I would be happy to share the report with you, if that's something you'd find interesting. It was very illuminating with respect to the different categories of veterans and those who are seeking leadership positions versus those who are seeking a more stable, quieter life. That actually mirrors life in the military very closely as well.

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Our job at this committee is to make recommendations to the government in terms of what should be incorporated into a strategy. That's why we've invited you to help inform that. Can you go to the next step? What is it that we can take from your research, and how can we take it, to maximize the impact of a veterans hiring strategy?

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Harry Harsch]

I think—and this is consistent with what Debbie has been saying as well—that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to veterans. Veterans are very diverse. They're very unique. You can categorize them to a point, but in my view the strategy has to be incredibly flexible and has to understand the point at which veterans become veterans, because there's a big difference.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Harsch.

Thank you, Mr. Casey.

The next two turns will be very short. Each member will have two and a half minutes.

Mr. Richards, did you have a question?

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

In response to Mr. Casey's question, the commissionaires indicated that they would be happy to share the report. I'm just going to suggest this. Could you send it to the clerk of the committee so it can be distributed to all members? It would be really helpful to us in our studies.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Very good. Thank you.

Over to you, Mr. Desilets. You have two and a half minutes.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

It was two minutes before, and now, it's two and a half minutes. That's wonderful, Mr. Chair. On we go.

My question for the witnesses is similar to the one Mr. Casey just asked. I'd like them to take turns answering.

Once we've had all six of our two-hour meetings on a national strategy for veterans employment after service, our job will be to write a report. What would you like to see in the report we draft at the end of the study? What would help your organizations?

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Paul Guindon]

What would help the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires provide more jobs to veterans is better information sharing, which would ensure that armed forces members nearing retirement had the information they needed to make better choices.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

While they are still in the Canadian Armed Forces?

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Paul Guindon]

Absolutely.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

That doesn't happen now? It doesn't happen enough. Is that correct?

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Paul Guindon]

In my humble opinion, it doesn't happen enough. Currently, it's tough for us to reach out to men and women in uniform because we have limited access, even when we know they are retiring soon.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

I see.

Mr. Harsch, are there any recommendations you would like to see in our report?

[Capt(N) (Ret'd) Harry Harsch]

Much to the previous question, I think it's understanding veterans and inherently knowing or trying to find out what they want. Certainly we have been trying to be as innovative as we can be to offer different opportunities beyond just traditional security guarding, because that's what most veterans, but not all, are looking for. Some veterans are looking for a quiet life, and again it gets back to the point that veterans are very diverse.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Ms. Lowther, do you have anything to add quickly, before the chair cuts us off?

What would you like to see in the committee's report on a national strategy for veterans employment after service?