Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 6th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting No. 35 of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of June 23, 2022. Members may participate in person or via the Zoom application.

To ensure an orderly meeting, I have a few instructions to give.

Before you speak, please wait for me to recognize you by name. I also ask committee members to name the person they are addressing when they ask questions. I would remind you that all comments should be addressed through the chair.

In accordance with our routine motion, I wish to inform the committee that the witnesses completed the required connection testing prior to the meeting.

With that, we can welcome our witnesses, starting with thanking them for participating.

First, we have retired Maj. André Thivierge, co-founder and co-chair of the Ottawa Veterans Task Force.

Next, from the GardaWorld Security Corporation, we have Jean-Luc Meunier, president and chief operating officer, security services, Canada, with Colleen Arnold, vice-president, corporate affairs, and Simon Bernier, national director, innovation and technologies.

Our final witness, from the National Association of Career Colleges, is Michael Sangster, chief executive officer.

I will give each group the opportunity to given a five-minute opening presentation. I would ask that they look at me from time to time so I can signal them when their speaking time is up.

Mr. Thivierge, the floor is yours for the next five minutes.

[André Thivierge, Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Major (Retired), City of Ottawa Veterans Task Force]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Honourable members, I want to thank you for allowing me to tell you about my experience in relation to the support offered to veterans.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

I have a point of order, Chair.

I'm so sorry to interrupt, but we're hearing from the interpreters that the sound isn't right.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

You can continue, Mr. Thivierge. We will make sure that the interpretation is working properly.

[André Thivierge]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Every year, thousands of military personnel make the transition from military to civilian life.

Some of them will embark on a second career.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Mr. Thivierge, forgive me for interrupting you, but we are in the process of fixing some little connection problems.

We will come back to you after hearing the witnesses who are in the room. That will give the technicians time to fix the interpretation problems.

I'm sorry for this hold-up. However, you will start over with five minutes for your presentation.

[André Thivierge]

That's fine, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Thivierge.

So I would invite Mr. Meunier, the president and chief operating officer of GardaWorld Security Corporation, to take the floor for the next five minutes.

We are listening, Mr. Meunier.

[Jean-Luc Meunier, President and Chief Operating Officer, Security Services, Canada, GardaWorld Security Corporation]

Mr. Chair, members of the committee, thank you for inviting GardaWorld to today's meeting. This is an important meeting. It is a conversation about the National Strategy for Veterans Employment. We are very proud to be here today.

Before I tell you about our initiatives in this regard, I would like to tell you a bit about us. Our story began in 1995, when Canadian entrepreneur Stephan Crétier saw an opportunity in the market for security services and founded our company, GardaWorld. Today, from our headquarters in Montréal, we have grown into a global leader with an extensive portfolio of security and risk management services. We operate in several countries and employ 35,000 people in Canada.

The Government of Canada has entrusted us with delivering critical contracts, from airport security screening with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority to the safety of residents of immigration holding centres on behalf of the Canada Border Services Agency.

At GardaWorld, we are deeply committed to veterans employment. It's based on the fact that in our experience, veterans are exceptional employees. We have veterans at all levels of the organization, including our chief operating officer.

In 2019, GardaWorld received the veterans employment transition award at the annual celebration of service on Parliament Hill. This award was presented in recognition of the company's efforts in hiring veterans and reservists and their spouses.

All security companies want to hire more veterans. After all, there is a natural alignment between having served and working in security.

Here are some of the initiatives we have taken to support veterans' employment.

We have developed a veterans advisory board. It is led by my colleague Simon Bernier, who served in the forces for 10 years. The board ensures that our veterans' unique needs are met, whether it's through simplified access to top-notch mental health support or the flexibility to continue their service in the reserves.

We also have preferred hiring policies for veterans. We have added specific training for our recruiters on military CV terminology, and we work with trusted partners such as True Patriot Love and With Glowing Hearts.

Veterans employment is a complex subject, with many facets and challenges. As you have already heard, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We would like to share with you a few suggestions that we think could support veterans employment after service.

First, increase alignment with the Canadian Forces to plan for post-service opportunities.

Second, implement military-friendly accreditation for businesses like ours. This would provide veterans the confidence of knowing that these businesses can meet their needs, thereby shifting the burden of after-service employment to businesses rather than to veterans.

Finally, we suggest the modernization of the right of first refusal for guard services, known as the RFR.

Due to its complexity, I will spend more time on this matter, considering the important impact and positive results this reform can accomplish, including the potential savings to the government. These considerable savings could be reallocated to support all Canadian veterans in their transition to civilian life.

As you may know, the RFR gives the Corps of Commissionaires—I will call them “the corps”—from whom the committee heard last week, a virtual monopoly on the protection of federal buildings.

Of the more than 600,000 veterans in Canada today, the corps employs 4,400 of them, which represents only 1% of the veteran population. As the committee heard from the Corps of Commissionaires itself, despite expanding the definition of “veterans” and reducing the threshold of hours required to be worked by veterans from 70% in 2014 to 60% in 2016, the corps remained unable to meet its mandate, with only 38% of the hours currently worked by veterans being on federal contracts. Despite this, the RFR monopoly with the Corps of Commissionaires remains in place.

Our industry firmly believes that it is time to modernize the right of first refusal and give veterans the freedom to choose for themselves where they will work, the company they want to work for, and the work they want to do. This would mean that all security companies, without exception, would then have equal access to these talents, and veterans would be presented with all the opportunities the industry has to offer.

There are mechanisms in place that would allow the Government to modernize the right of first refusal, replacing it with a system that works for veterans and for taxpayers. Doing so would provide more choice and opportunities for everyone, while increasing diversity in security services, and would allow the Government of Canada to realize substantial savings.

With that, we look forward shortly to answering your questions.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you for your presentation, Mr. Meunier.

Now I'd like to invite, from the National Association of Career Colleges, Mr. Michael Sangster, the chief executive officer, for five minutes or less, please.

[Michael Sangster, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Career Colleges]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon to all committee members and fellow witnesses.

I'm pleased to be here today to participate in your study on veterans' employment following their service and to share some of the ways that regulated career colleges are already answering the call and helping veterans find meaningful work in their post-service careers.

Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to all those currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces for the sacrifices you make, for the challenges you overcome and for putting your country first. Thank you to our veterans for standing your watch and answering the call.

Every day, employers, business associations and trade groups are calling me and my association, looking for well-trained, skilled workers who can show leadership, integrity, teamwork, problem-solving and accountability. That sounds to me like the men and women who serve in Canada's military.

More can and should be done to help service members understand the broad range of opportunities available to them before they are discharged, and more can be done for their families. We stand ready to support that effort.

As major trainers of mature workers, each year NACC's 450 regulated career colleges train more than 150,000 learners who go on to ease the critical labour gaps across the country after graduation. Our direct training-to-employment pipeline provides learners and their families with opportunities for advancement while responding to our country's diverse labour force and economic needs. Regulated career colleges work closely with employers to ensure that we are training for the skills currently required, which is important to consider for mature students who want to contribute immediately.

From coast to coast, regulated career colleges are currently working with active service members, veterans and their families, and I'd like to take a moment to inform you of a few of those examples.

Willis College, right here in Ottawa, is working closely with Veterans Affairs and DND to train active and transitioning service members for a number of exciting careers, including as cyber-defence and security analysts, cyber operators and business administrators.

Last year, Willis College also announced the creation of a new $2-million Learning Together veteran and family scholarship to provide full tuition scholarships to family members of veterans also taking one of their programs. I know Mr. Samson attended that announcement, and I want to thank you for your participation and support, sir.

CBBC Career College in Nova Scotia has also established a military and veterans partnership team to create a veteran-friendly centre and learning environment that provides the flexibility for military veteran students to flourish.

We recognize at NACC that there are many transition services currently available for Canadian Armed Forces members. We see an opportunity for the National Association of Career Colleges and our provincial affiliates to be more integrated in the program. More can be done together to educate veterans on the benefits of our training options.

Regulated career colleges offer thousands of flexible training programs that allow our learners to step out of the military service directly into the classroom and go on to the job site. Back-to-school day at a career college is every day of the week. Courses start every week of the year. Students graduate every week of the year. If you were discharged on a Friday, you can start training for a new career on a Monday morning.

In a similar vein, since regulated career colleges are in communities across the country, not just in large urban areas, you don't have to be in Toronto, Ottawa, or Calgary. You can be in Trinity, Melville, or Rimouski.

We get people trained faster. We train them closer to their homes and families. We train them where the demand for workers exists and in the communities you represent.

I would strongly recommend that the government convene an ongoing veterans skills and training table that includes a wide range of partners, including regulated career colleges and employers, to keep everyone working and focused on this issue. Establishing a regular and ongoing working table is one way to ensure continued collaboration and keep us all focused on what matters most, which is getting more veterans into more jobs through the best training possible.

To be bold, we recommend that the government and NACC build a program for spouses and children of active military and veterans. When soldiers serve, their families serve as well. The nomadic life of a military family makes maintaining a career for family members difficult.

This committee can recommend in its report bringing employers, governments and regulated career colleges together to support military families in getting trained for roles and skills needed by employers. As a leader in industry-driven skills training, we welcome the opportunity to work with all levels of government to continue providing job training programs tailored to the unique experiences and needs of veterans.

Thank you, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss these solutions with you in more detail.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Sangster.

We will now come back to retired Major André Thivierge, whom I would like to thank for his service, by the way.

Mr. Thivierge, we are going to try once more. It seems that the problem is on our end rather than yours.

You have five minutes to give your opening statement.

I will restart the clock.

[André Thivierge]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank the committee for allowing me to make my presentation in such an important forum.

As we know, when military personnel are in transition, thousands of people...

[A voice]

No.

[André Thivierge]

Is there a problem, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

It seems there is. I am going to check.

Ms. Blaney, the floor is yours. It will then be Ms. Wagantall's turn.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

I'm so sorry to interrupt this witness, because I'm very excited to hear what he has to say, but what the interpreters are saying is that the sound is still not clear enough for them to do the interpreting.

[André Thivierge]

Shall I continue, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

No, Mr. Thivierge, because some members are not getting the interpretation.

Ms. Blaney, the floor is yours.

[André Thivierge]

I can do my best to do it in English if the interpreters are not able to correct the problem.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I'm going to suspend the meeting for a few seconds, because it's important that we be able to hear all the witnesses.

So we will take a short break for the time it takes to fix this interpretation problem.

Stay with us, Mr. Thivierge.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

We will resume the meeting.

Ms. Wagantall wanted to say something.

She has raised a point of order.

Would you like to intervene now, please?

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

I would like to see this witness present in French, which I don't understand. I wish I did. Those of us who speak English only are probably few. I have read everything he has submitted and I would like to have him be part of the testimony today so that I can ask him questions.

Otherwise, let's all chip in and get him an Uber. Apparently he is in Ottawa.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

I understand that, Mrs. Wagantall. The problem is with our interpreters.

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think we have wasted more than five minutes talking about this. I think we're done in English and in French.