Evidence of meeting #37 for Veterans Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was employment.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Executive Director, Quatre-Chemins
We focus more on the psychosocial aspect of the transition and coaching. Our partners offer those coaching services directly.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
If someone needs a career counsellor, they will look for that resource outside.
Is that right?
Executive Director, Quatre-Chemins
That's right. In fact, in the case of a...
Bloc
Executive Director, Quatre-Chemins
That's right.
The case managers and all the rest.
Bloc
Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
That's interesting.
I went too fast; I have no further questions, Mr. Chair.
Bloc
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
You're very kind, Mr. Desilets. Thank you.
Ms. Blaney, the floor is yours for four minutes.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Thank you, Chair. I didn't get the extra 30 seconds. I accept that.
Ms. Taylor, if I could come to you first, I saw that you created the “Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans”. I'm just trying to understand how this tool is used. Is it given out to employers? You talked a bit about how it would be important for SMEs and other organizations to consider veterans. I'm just wondering, is this a tool that's being used? If not, could it be used more effectively?
February 13th, 2023 / 5:45 p.m.
President, Challenge Factory
The guide was published in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. In the last three months, it's been downloaded more than 200 times. It's also used and taken up by a lot of service providers. It's used not only by SMEs themselves that are looking to hire, but increasingly by organizations that are working with both veterans and employers to improve what they know about that population so that the knowledge can get across the country.
It certainly can be better disseminated. Having a single point for resources related to veterans from Veterans Affairs Canada and from CAF TG—where there are valid resources that are available and employers and veterans know where to go and get them—is a good start in terms of being able to know the best way to distribute these types of resources across the country.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Thank you.
I'm going to ask both of you this question. I know, based on a lot of research, that there are particular groups of veterans that struggle more profoundly: women veterans, newer veterans who didn't get a lot of service time and, of course, veterans who are medically released. I'm just wondering if, in the work that both of you have done, you have found anything that's particularly meaningful or effective for those three groups, because we want to see their outcomes get better. I am hoping to have in this report some substantive recommendations that provide guidance for VAC.
President, Challenge Factory
It is true that those are groups that the research shows struggle more. I'll also reiterate that those are the same groups that also struggle in general employment conditions across the country in different situations and are not veterans as well.
I will say that one of the programs we have implemented and run and that demonstrates a good, strong connection is where the programs are not “veteran only”, where we actually can be providing transition support services that combine both veterans and employers, who learn about each other together, at the same time. Women veterans going through the transition program have a chance to talk with others who are in human resources or in a company, so that the very first time the veterans—especially those who are in marginalized groups or groups that are struggling—have their first civilian career conversation is not at an interview.
The more that we can be integrating the populations and not isolating veterans as they go through the important identity work, psychosocial work and career exploration work, so that they know even where they want to go next, the stronger their sense of confidence will be and the better we'll prepare them.
Executive Director, Quatre-Chemins
I would say just about the same thing.
It's important to open up the conversation to make sure we create groups that are heterogeneous, and that's what we do, right? We put veterans who are in that transition process with athletes, with people from the business world and with artists as well. What happens and what they tell us is that they realize that the civilian world—those are the words they use—is not as bad as they would have expected.
At the same time, the ones who are civilians also get connected to the experience of veterans, and that opens up the conversation. That also makes them realize that in going through those struggles there's a certain level that's higher for veterans, based on their experience, but it's also similar to that of a lot of other people, and that breaks the isolation and really opens up the conversation.
That's one of the biggest points that we have to take into consideration: really opening up that conversation.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Emmanuel Dubourg
Thank you very much. I know that you time yourself. Thank you for exactly four minutes.
That's the end of this panel. I'm sorry for the interruption, and I'd like to offer that if you have any other information, please do not hesitate to send it to our clerk.
Ms. Lisa Taylor, president of Challenge Factory, thank you so much for coming.
I also want to thank Cassandra Poudrier, the executive director of Quatre-Chemins.
Thank you for coming.
I would also like to thank the analysts, the clerk, the technical team and our interpreters.
Is it the pleasure of the committee to adjourn the meeting?
There being no objections, the meeting is adjourned.