Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 9th, 2023

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

Thank you so much, Chair.

I thank all the witnesses for being here. I deeply appreciate the information you've shared with us so far.

I'm going to come to you, Helmets to Hardhats. I will leave you to decide who answers, because you know what you do the best.

One thing you mentioned in your introduction today is about having created a specific initiative for women and LGBTQ2+ veterans. I'm wondering if you could expand a little on what that looks like so we can better understand what framework you're moving forward with.

[MGen (Ret'd) Paul Bury]

Certainly. Thanks for the question.

We applied for a grant through Veteran Affairs Canada and the veteran and family well-being fund specifically to promote skilled trades opportunities to women and LGBTQ2+ veterans. Through that grant, we were able to hire two outreach workers. Their focus is to go out to talk to women vets and LGBTQ vets, and to communicate, familiarize and inform them about the opportunities in the skilled trades.

Because of that work, we have seen an uptick in the number of veterans who have registered with us. We look forward to their work in furthering that initiative and cause. Over time I think we'll see that it has been successful.

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

Thank you.

That answers a bit of another question that I have, which is around whether you have particular strategies to reach out to these communities. It sounds like you have people who are actually going out there.

Is that different from the attraction strategy for veterans generally? Is it a little more specific?

[MGen (Ret'd) Paul Bury]

I would say that it is.

We have a general outreach strategy. Monsieur Trépanier noted that we attend the second career assistance network, the SCAN seminars. We meet with regular and reserve forces across the country. We communicate and inform them about the opportunities and about the Helmets to Hardhats program.

The two outreach workers whom the VAC grant allowed us to hire really dug down into the demographics. They help them. They mentor them. They work with them closely as they go through the process of applying for union memberships and apprenticeship opportunities. I think that really helps. It's about making that connection and then helping them through the process to ensure there's a successful outcome.

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

Thank you for that.

It's interesting. A lot of the research says that there are a few different groups of veterans who are challenged in terms of finding employment after service. One of those groups, of course, is women veterans, and another is veterans who served for a very short time and are now out in civilian life. Another is medically released veterans. One thing that I'm hoping will come out of this study is more ideas about specific ways to do that outreach so that those numbers aren't continuing to fall below or behind other groups of veterans and they have an opportunity.

One other question I have is around whether you have specific targets in terms of the numbers of folks from these communities participating in the program.

[MGen (Ret'd) Paul Bury]

Yes. Thanks for the question.

When you're talking about specific targets, we had some metrics, obviously, when we applied for the funding. However, I think it's too early in the process to tell you where we are and whether we are achieving success.

Over the last few months, we've seen in an uptick in the number who have applied. We have had far more communications this year with women and LGBTQ2+ veterans than in the past few years. I would attribute it to the work that those two outreach workers do. If you come back in two years and ask me, I could give you a far more thorough answer.

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

That's excellent; I look forward to that.

Another thing I noticed in your intervention with us, and I know you didn't get to everything.... One thing that really impacted me was that once the receipt of documents is done, there's that really good reaching out to the veteran—making a phone call, talking to them about the process and looking at what's happening for them personally.

I'm wondering if you do that with every single veteran and if you feel that it is part of the capacity to retain them in this industry.

[Normand Trépanier]

Yes, definitely. We speak with everybody who registers with us. The reason is that I'm an old-fashioned guy, so I like to speak with people. After that, we can leave and say, “Okay, we're on the same track.” We go from there, and the work starts. We send the file all over the place in the places where the member, the veteran, wants to go.

Mr. Chair, I'd like to correct something. At the beginning, I said that the safety training fund came from Veterans Affairs. I'm sorry; it comes from the Province of Ontario from the SDF, the skills development fund program. My apologies.

As I said, we speak to everyone. We want to make sure that we're all on the same track.

The challenge that we sometimes have with the Afghans—we're just starting—is the language. Even though I come from near Shawinigan and probably got the accent from Monsieur Chrétien, we have fun with them, and they work. Because we speak with them directly, they can express themselves better.

[The Chair, Liberal, Emmanuel Dubourg]

Thank you, Mr. Trépanier and Ms. Blaney.

Before concluding this part of the meeting and welcoming another group of witnesses, we will go to one final round of questions.

I'd like to invite Mrs. Cathay Wagantall to take the floor for five minutes, please.

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

Thank you so much, Chair.

First of all, I want to make a comment on your statement that there was something you didn't get a chance to say.

We know that the Canadian government gives employment priority in its public service to equally qualified veterans. We received information as a committee that as of September 1, 2021, there were 171 VAC employees who have self-identified as being current or former Canadian Armed Forces members. Out of 3,455 full-time equivalents at VAC, that's about 5%, we'll say.

According to the Public Service Commission, which is responsible for administering hiring priorities, 330 appointments out of the 64,796 hires made in 2021-22 for the entire public service were veterans. That's about half a per cent.

In your thinking, is that a good representation or under-representation within the public service itself of the hiring of veterans?

[Normand Trépanier]

Mr. Chair, I don't have those figures, so I don't know. I can't say, and I don't want to lie, so I can maybe find the answer, but right now, madame, I can't.

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

That's fine. I think it's important that we realize that VAC and the public service need to be setting an example, but at the same time I really appreciate the opportunities here in the private sector. I think you're doing a remarkable job of this.

You indicated that twice a year, in the spring and the fall, you're invited to the second career seminar to talk about your program, which is wonderful. Where does that invitation come from?

[Normand Trépanier]

It comes from Canadian Forces bases and garrisons. It's from the transition group and from the base personnel service officer. They send us the invitation as a third party to speak about whatever program they have, and the veterans know that we are a tool in their tool box.

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

I appreciate that.

You're invited, and you're part of that fair. Can you tell me roughly how many different organizations would be part of that career seminar? Is it just you? Are there other options there as well, or is it something specifically to—

[Normand Trépanier]

Mr. Chair, they have a lot more representatives, not only H2H. There are groups all over the place.

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

Thank you very much.

Mr. Mueller, I'd like to ask you a quick question about your comment that you received $39 million to help with reinvesting in our aviation and aerospace industries. You talked about needing to get talent back, plus new employees. Is the “talent back” in reference to what the industries have been going through since the shutdowns with COVID and whatnot? Is that what you're referring to?

[Mike Mueller]

Yes, that's what I was referring to. How do we get back the talent that we lost through the devastation of COVID-19?

We were pleased with the $39 million that you referenced. That is going towards industry-led training. There's that skills mismatch, if you will, with the previous experience that somebody may have or with somebody coming out of university. What specific skills are required by that particular company or industry sector?

We're very pleased to see that funding.

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

Does this include pilot training as well?

[Mike Mueller]

I am not a 100% sure. I don't believe it's pilot training. No, it's more on the manufacturing side.

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

It's manufacturing, maintenance and all those types of things.

[Mike Mueller]

That's correct.

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

Okay.

We are short on—

I'm sorry. Go ahead.

[Mike Mueller]

Just to be clear, this funding did not go to AIAC, but to the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace. I think they'd probably be better placed to answer some of those very specific questions on the program. I don't want to mislead the committee.

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

Sure. I appreciate that. Thank you.

You also indicated that we need 58,000 more employees by 2028. Is that accurate?

[Mike Mueller]

Yes, that is the estimate for what is required for the aerospace and the aviation sectors. It's quite significant.