Soon after its inception, Challenge Factory was invited to meet with General (Ret’d) Walt Natynczyk, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada, to discuss new approaches to military-to-civilian career transition supports. Veterans, much like older workers, experience identity-based challenges when they leave the military.
It would be the beginning of a lasting relationship with Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the ecosystem supporting Veteran transitions. It would also be a perfect opportunity to put our Research-to-Practice model to work for a deserving community and hidden talent pool—a priority we’re proud to continue investing in.
There have been many highlights along the way:
In 2014-2015, we piloted an experiential program called Leaders Helping Leaders. It brought together Veterans and transitioning older workers to test how inclusive learning programs could break down barriers and lead to better outcomes for both cohorts. Following this work, the Government of Canada asked us to train Military Family Resource Centre managers across Canada in career development.
Few employer-focused tools and resources existed to help small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) understand why Veterans make great hires. We built a coalition of partners for a new research program in 2017, a first-of-its-kind national study to quantify how Veterans work and what biases employers hold about them. The findings helped improve Veteran career transition supports across the country.
In 2019-2020, we conducted another quantitative research study with more than 100 SMEs in Ontario. We also conducted interviews with five large enterprises that have mature Veteran hiring programs (CP Rail, The Commissionaires, MNP, RBC, and Scotiabank). This informed Challenge Factory’s publication of The Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans (1st edition).
After Canadian and international market research in 2021-2022, we created two new employer-focused resources, the online MasterClass in Hiring: Tap into the Hidden Talent Pool of Canada’s Veterans and Hidden Talent: A Challenge Factory Podcast. We also measured the impact of our Veteran hiring resources to determine how well they work.
We partnered with the Canadian Career Development Foundation to develop the Veterans and Small Business Community Challenge, a free experiential training program designed to accelerate the recruitment, onboarding, and hiring of Veterans by small businesses across Canada.
Roland Gossage Foundation and Lighthouse Labs selected Challenge Factory to be their curriculum development partner in 2022.
A year later, Lisa appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs as an expert witness. The Committee was developing a National Strategy for Veterans Employment After Service. Its final report was published in October 2023. Lisa provided three recommendations to the Committee:
- Use a career development model when designing the National Strategy for Veterans Employment After Service and adhere to Canada’s national Competency Framework for Career Development Professionals when outlining any service or intervention to be included in the strategy.
- Focus on equipping Veterans with career agency rather than identifying specific jobs or career paths for them.
- Make it easier for SMEs in the private and non-profit sectors to hire Veterans through employer-focused supports and incentives.
True Patriot Love
The True Patriot Love Foundation (TPL) is another of our key partners in this important work. TPL is a national charity dedicated to supporting Canadian military members, Veterans, and their families.
Together, we mapped the Veteran transition ecosystem in Ontario. We liaised with Veterans Affairs Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces (Transition Group) to integrate strategies and activities across all organizations. We brought together large employers to collaborate and share Veteran hiring and retention best practices. And we developed the Veteran Friendly Ontario Challenge, a training program that improves the hiring competence of small businesses and the small business acumen of Veterans.
Lisa joined TPL’s CEO Nick Booth and Chief Program Officer Namita Joshi to present the findings of this work to the Veterans Affairs Canada team in the summer of 2024. The meeting included the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.
The Challenge Factory approach
Early on in this work, we recognized that success meant engaging both Veterans and employers, in fact finding and ideation. It’s not enough to help Veterans adapt to the civilian labour market. We believe that it’s just as important to educate employers about the unique value that military Veterans bring to the workplace. We’ve made that a priority consistently.
This work is more than a proof point for our Research-to-Practice model. Certainly, it illustrates the effectiveness of our commitment to continuous learning and evidence-based innovation. But it also demonstrates our firm belief that no one should be left behind in the Future of Work. We’re proud of our results and the partnerships we’ve formed.
Our funding partners
- Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services
- CERIC
- Roland Gossage Foundation and Lighthouse Labs
- ScotiaRISE (Scotiabank)
- Skills Development Fund (Government of Ontario)
- Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund (Veterans Affairs Canada)