June 6th, 2013
Bill Sutherland, The Windsor Star
Re: The journey to civilian life: Vets refocus aim on job market, by Jordan Press, Postmedia News, March 1.
The Windsor Star is to be commended for drawing attention to the impact that the longest combat mission in Canadian history is having on our veterans.
Our brave men and women risked their lives for their country, and we owe them our respect, as well as our enduring gratitude.
One of their biggest challenges in coming home is making the transition to the civilian workforce, as Jordan Press so effectively describes in his article. The 9-11 generation of veterans is facing not only tough economic times but a corporate culture that can be unfamiliar, and where military skills and experiences aren’t fully understood.
Helping Canadian Forces veterans overcome those hurdles and find meaningful employment is the mandate of Commissionaires. It has been at the heart of what we do since we started 87 years ago.
A non-profit organization, we are the largest private employer of veterans, and we have hired thousands of veterans over that time. In recent years, 5,000 members of the CF have been released annually, and Commissionaires has hired over 1,000 in each of those years. Most of them have neither a government pension nor are eligible for Veterans Affairs programs.
We owe it to our veterans to serve them as they have served us. When it comes to employing our veterans after their service careers, Commissionaires is the industry leader.
Contact us for more information, at commissionaires.ca.
Bill Sutherland, Chair, National Board of Governors, Commissionaires Ottawa