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

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