October 28th, 2014
The vast majority of Canadians believe we have an obligation to ensure veterans find meaningful employment after their military service. The exact number has hit an all-time high of 96 per cent, up from 94 per cent last year, and 90 per cent in 2008. The annual Nanos national Remembrance Day survey, released today by Commissionaires, captures Canadians’ overwhelming support for veterans as they make the challenging transition from military life to a civilian career.
“These results reinforce what we see anecdotally every day, that Canadians feel a deep commitment and gratitude towards our veterans, and want to see them succeed in their second and third careers,” commented Bill Sutherland, National Board Chair, Commissionaires. “They bring relevant, transferrable skills to employers in a wide range of fields.”
The views of Atlantic Canadians are very closely aligned with those of Canadians in general, according to the survey, with only modest variations. For instance, nearly 75 per cent of Atlantic Canadians surveyed believe that honouring the milestone anniversaries of World War I and World War II is ‘important’ in sustaining the public’s attention on veterans’ issues. This is the highest score across the country, significantly more than the national average of 62 per cent.
The survey also indicates that most Canadians, nearly 63 per cent, believe the support veterans receive after they leave the Canadian Armed Forces is ‘inadequate or somewhat inadequate’ compared with only 4 per cent who considered it ‘adequate.’ Finally, the survey revealed that nearly 90 per cent of Canadians consider milestone anniversaries of World War I and World War II to be ‘important or somewhat important’ in focusing public attention on veterans issues.
“The survey results tell us that Atlantic Canadians feel a real obligation to our veterans,” commented Jim Lynch, CEO, Commissionaires Newfoundland and Labrador. “We’d like more employers to see how highly skilled and talented our veterans are, and hire more of them.”
Since 1925, Commissionaires has been providing meaningful employment for veterans as they make the transition from the Canadian Armed Forces to civilian life. With 15 divisions and more than 20,000 men and women employed across the country, Commissionaires is a leading national provider of security services, and one of the largest employers of veterans in Canada.
The Nanos survey was conducted between August 24th and 28th with a sample size of 1,000 Canadians. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
-30-
About Commissionaires
Commissionaires is one of Canada's leading security providers and the largest private sector employer of veterans. Founded on the core military values of dedication, responsibility and sense of mission, it employs 20,000 people from coast to coast to coast. It offers a wide range of security services including professional guarding, monitoring and surveillance, threat risk assessment, bylaw enforcement, identification and fingerprinting services, and security training. The completely self-funding not-for-profit enterprise returns approximately 95 per cent of its annual generated revenue to employees. Its clients include an array of public and private sector organizations.
To arrange an interview, contact:
Mandy Chepeka
Communications and Marketing
Commissionaires National Office
T 613 688 0714
April Gibson
Consultant
Thornley Fallis Communications
T 416 515 7517 ext 323