Veteran Employment Symposium at the Games
highlights need to support post-service employment
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 10,
2025 /CNW/ - February 10,
2025 – A growing list of Canadian businesses, currently
totalling 11 organizations, has endorsed the Veteran Ready Canada
Declaration to create a community of employers committed to
supporting and expanding employment opportunities for Canada's military Veterans.
The endorsement took place at the Veteran Employment Symposium
hosted by True Patriot Love,
Canada's foundation for the military community, as part of
the Invictus Games Whistler Vancouver 2025 presented by ATCO and
Boeing, of which True Patriot Love is a founding partner.
While sports will be a highlight for Games attendees,
competitors, and supporters, the Symposium, supported by Boeing and
Scotiabank, is one of the many ancillary events at the Games that
highlight different aspects of Veteran recovery, like the
transition to civilian life and employment after service.
The Symposium was attended by Prince
Harry, Duke of Sussex, Founder of the Invictus Games as well
as the Minister of Veterans Affairs, members of Parliament, along
with other senior elected officials, and provided a unique
opportunity to highlight corporate best practices in Canada and internationally that improve
supports to military members, Veterans and their families,
especially as they seek meaningful careers post-service.
"People leaving the Canadian Armed Forces have advanced
technical training and skills, team building and leadership
experience, and a powerful desire to serve – those are strong
assets to bring to the Canadian workforce," said Nick Booth, CEO of True Patriot Love. "That's
the message we want to bring to employers across Canada and we have some visionary partners
leading the way."
"The Symposium, supported by ScotiaRISE, Scotiabank's 10-year,
$500 million community investment
initiative, provides a unique opportunity to align on how we can
better support Veterans in their transition to meaningful
employment pathways," said Meigan
Terry, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at
Scotiabank. "As one of the first signatories of the Veteran
Ready Canada Declaration, we encourage other organizations to join
us in committing to improve Veteran hiring and training across
the country."
"As a Veteran, I understand firsthand the significance of
supporting those who have served, and at Boeing, our commitment to
veteran causes is fundamental to what we do," said Al Meinzinger, President of Boeing Canada.
"Empowering Veterans as they transition to civilian life is not
just a responsibility; it is an opportunity. Leveraging their
unique skills and experiences, like leadership, teamwork, and
problem-solving, enhances our workforce and contributes to our
overall success.
In addition to True Patriot Love, Scotiabank and The Boeing
Company, Agilec, ATCO, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Canada, BMO, Challenge Factory, Cyber Catalyst
Talent Solutions, Commissionaires and Together We Stand have also
endorsed the Declaration.
The Veteran Ready Canada Declaration states:
- We support the National Veterans Employment Strategy to create
a community of "Veteran Ready" employers. We commit to working
towards achieving "Veteran Ready" status as defined by the criteria
to be developed in the future.
- We commit to evaluating current human resources policies or
developing new policies that support the success of Military -
Veteran - Family (MVF) employees.
- We commit to sharing best practices on Veteran hiring, MVF
policies and employment with one another and the broader
community.
This Declaration represents our non-binding intent to work
collaboratively with the Canadian Armed Forces, including the
Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group, the Chief of Reserves,
Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services, and all
Veteran-serving organizations to advance opportunities for
transitioning service members, Reservists, Veterans, and their
families.
About True Patriot Love Foundation
True Patriot Love
is Canada's foundation for the
military community, working to support military members, Veterans,
and their families at every stage of their journey. True Patriot
Love advocates for the needs of military members and Veterans,
working as a trusted partner with local organizations, the Canadian
Armed Forces and the federal and provincial governments. True
Patriot Love has granted $47 million
and supported 1,065 community-based programs, reaching more than
41,000 beneficiaries across Canada, as well as supporting global
initiatives like the Invictus Games, of which True Patriot Love is
the main funder of Team Canada. True Patriot Love has a
research-backed approach to provide funding, partnerships and
knowledge sharing to Canada's most
vital military and Veteran support programs. Learn more at
www.truepatriotlove.com.
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank's vision is to be our
clients' most trusted financial partner and deliver sustainable,
profitable growth. Guided by our purpose: "for every future," we
help our clients, their families and their communities achieve
success through a broad range of advice, products and services,
including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and
private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital
markets. With assets of approximately $1.4
trillion (as at October 31,
2024), Scotiabank is one of the largest banks in
North America by assets, and
trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit
www.scotiabank.com and follow us on X @Scotiabank.
About Boeing
As a leading global aerospace
company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial
airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more
than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages
the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic
opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse
team is committed to innovating for the future and living the
company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Learn more
at www.boeing.com.
SOURCE True Patriot Love Foundation
