Province gives $1.2M to post-military career services for veterans

Alberta is spending $1.2 million on a program that helps veterans and first responders transition into civilian careers.

The Alberta government is pledging more than $1 million to help veterans find and pursue careers after their military service.

Receiving $1.2 million in funding from the province is Prospect Human Services’ Forces@Work program, which gives specialized support to former military and public service workers in their search for civilian careers.

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David Blackburn, the director of military employment services at Prospect Human Services and a retired Canadian Armed Force major, said Tuesday at a media conference there is great interest from employers looking to hire veterans through Forces@Work.

He said the program “easily achieves and exceeds that 70 per cent threshold that we’re looking at to try and get people into employment.”

According to the province, the program offers several services, including peer support, career planning, job search assistance, and resume and interview preparation.

“It’s a high-performing program, and for the people that we’re helping, it’s life-changing,” Blackburn said.

Jason Nixon, the minister of assisted living and social services, said Tuesday the success of the program gives the province the confidence to invest in it.

He gave the example of standard construction employment assistance through the province’s income supports program that sees more than 80 per cent of the people in it find jobs in the field, a “very, very high (number) from a success aspect of the program.”

“It’s one of those great moments in government where you can see a simple taxpayer investment ending up having a big payoff for individuals that are utilizing the program,” Nixon told media.

“A lot of our other programs cost a lot more than this.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Galen McDougall