Mr. Chair, I would say that the business leaders and the unions will seek out veterans for the soft skills—the leadership, the discipline—that they bring. The trade-specific skills can be taught. They can get that experience and move forward. What we find in the testimony and information we get back from the employers is that they seek out these individuals because of those skills. They can teach trade-specific skills, but they want the veterans for all the other assets they bring to the work site.
On February 9th, 2023. See this statement in context.