Canadian corporations commit to support Veterans employment, wellbeing

Above: Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada Darren Fisher

Major Canadian and international organizations have heeded the call to support Canada’s Veterans by cultivating and expanding employment opportunities, helping service members thrive in post-military life while benefiting employers as well.

Scotiabank, Boeing and several other organizations made the commitments during a Veterans Employment Symposium held last week as part of the Invictus Games Whistler Vancouver 2025, the international adaptive sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick military service members and Veterans.

Every year, roughly 4,000 Veterans leave the Canadian Armed Forces to join the workforce armed with a robust work ethic, discipline, and a wide range of skills, but employers are not taking advantage of this rich resource, said Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada Darren Fisher.

"Despite having such a deep pool of talent, many employers still don't immediately think or seek out to hire Veterans when they are filling a position and that is something that we can change… So many valuable skills within this Veteran community,” he said in his remarks. “If you’re looking for dedicated folks, you won’t find better candidates.”  

The Symposium was hosted by Canada’s foundation for the military community True Patriot Love and took place as part of the Invictus Games, held in British Columbia from Feb. 8 to 16. This was the second time the Games — founded by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex in 2014 — have been held in Canada; the other was in Toronto in 2017.

Veterans Employment Symposium sponsored by ScotiaRISE

The Symposium brought together corporate, community and government leaders to examine the issue of Veteran employment. The event was supported by Scotiabank through ScotiaRISE, the Bank’s 10-year, $500-million community investment initiative, and Boeing and featured panel discussions with participants from organizations including Amazon, Accenture, and the Canadian Armed Forces.  

The one-day event 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. 

The discussions examined topics including the issues military Veterans face when transitioning to the private sector, how to create Veteran and family-friendly employers and ecosystems, and heard directly from Veterans themselves who now work in the corporate world.

From 2014 to 2024, an average of 8,200 Canadian Armed Forces members leave each year, with half of those Veterans seeking new career opportunities, according to Veterans Affairs Canada.

Barriers to labour market include bias: paper

Almost one-quarter of recently released Veterans in Canada were not in the labour force, a rate higher than that of Canadians overall, according to a 2019 paper in the Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health. This rate may reflect barriers to the labour market, including potential bias and stigma, as well as difficulty translating military experience to the civilian workplace and the effects of disability, the paper outlined. 

“Although some persons have a disability so severe that they cannot work, many others would like to work but face barriers unrelated to their condition, which suggests that many Veterans could benefit from employment supports,” according to the authors.

When people think of Veterans, they are likely to think of an infantry soldier with a rifle running into a trench, but the range of job experiences in the military is far more vast, said Joseph Curry, Scotiabank’s Director of Physical Security – International Banking and co-chair of Scotiabank Veterans Network.

“Almost every type of job that you have in your organization, there is a similar type of role in the military,” he said during a panel discussion. “Whether it's human resources, operations, logistics, risk management, you name it, there are people who have those technical skills that can be transferred directly into your organization.”

In fact, Curry said, he joined Scotiabank after another Veteran noticed his skillset and background “would fit very well within a role within the Bank that I hadn’t even considered.”  

Canadian companies endorse Veteran Ready Canada Declaration

During the event, True Patriot Love, Scotiabank and Boeing called on Canadian organizations to support Veterans by endorsing the Veteran Ready Canada Declaration, a commitment to support and expand employment opportunities for the country’s military Veterans. That includes supporting the federal government’s National Veterans Employment Strategy and evaluating current human resources policies, or developing new policies, to support the success of military Veterans and their families.

“We’re calling on leading businesses and organizations in Canada to join Scotiabank and many others, making a commitment to create a more Veteran Ready Canada,” said Stephen Gaskin, Scotiabank Senior Vice President, BC & Yukon Region, during the Symposium.

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. 

"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," said Meigan Terry, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Scotiabank.

Al Meinzinger, President of Boeing Canada, said as a Veteran himself, he understands firsthand the significance of supporting those who have served.

"At Boeing, our commitment to Veteran causes is fundamental to what we do," he said. "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.”