OTTAWA — A U.S-based technology company is pitching the Trudeau government on an innovative idea to link veterans — who are either out of uniform or about to leave the military — with jobs in the private sector.
Monster Government Solutions has been showcasing its military skills translator software, hoping the Canadian government will follow the lead of the Obama Administration in the U.S. by utilizing the program through Veterans Affairs, and possibly National Defence.
The program allows military members to customize their job search through a specialized algorithm that helps match highly technical military skills with potential civilian jobs.
Terry Howell, director of editorial operations for the company, says it would require the participation of private sector companies, but the package has a clear track record of success in the U.S.
He says it offers a couple of different avenues of support, but the main one would work as a tool for military counsellors preparing soldiers for civilian life.
During last fall's federal election, the Liberals promised to examine so-called transition tools, and the party's president, Anna Gainey, went as far as responding to the company in writing saying "a military skills translator can be a valuable and effective tool."