To see all the images from this event, go to:
https://www.richardlawrencephotography.ca/rlpgalleries/2024/c4v2024/
In today’s world, it’s common fact that technology, specifically computers, is required to run almost every aspect of our lives from personal information, infrastructure management, finance and economics, medical, military and anything else you can think of. Because of this, the security of these systems absorbs more and more resources to the point where there are no longer enough individuals with the requisite skills to keep everything safe and develop the software and systems needed to move into the future. It’s projected that in Canada, in the next 12 – 18 months, there may be as many as 147,000 unfilled information technology (IT) jobs. These jobs can’t be filled through immigration alone but also require a significant move in reskilling and retraining existing workforces.
This is where the Coding for Veterans (C4V) organization tries to fill a gap. Their mission is to take military members who are leaving the CAF, and help them transition to civilian life by providing support and training in the IT field, specifically cyber security and software development. Their program started in 2019 with five students and now has put between 600-650 students through the course. Participants, including some international students, come from all across Canada (as the program is 100% virtual/online). All-in-all, students get a university education and write industry certification exams making the transition from military to civilian life much easier. “From Deployment to Employment” as stated by Jeff Musson, Executive Director of C4V.
For those veterans who have left the military (since 2006) and have at least six years of service, Veterans Affairs Canada, through the Education Transition Benefit, will fund 100% of the tuition in the program. The C4V program partnership with the University of Ottawa-Professional Development Institute allows for classes to be taken 100% online from anywhere in Canada with C4V providing the academic curriculum in conjunction with the needs of their industry partners. The curriculum provided by C4V has been created based on consultation with their industry partners (a “key to [C4V’s] success” says Jeff Musson) and is a living entity in that the partners provide ongoing input on changing needs and C4V adjusts the curriculum to fit those changing requirements. This ensures that the graduating students have skills relevant to the current work environment making it easier to obtain employment, which C4V also helps to facilitate with their placement program.
Surprisingly, the largest group of students is from the infantry/artillery branches. Jeff Musson explains this from the point of view of civilian job equivalencies in that a military pilot has a civilian counterpart in an airline pilot, but soldiers and gunners do not. As with other military personnel, they bring soft skills, discipline, teamwork, attention to detail, attitude, and the ability to work independently. However, they are also familiar with technologies and machinery, making them highly desirable once trained in IT.
C4V is also looking at diversifying its training to include data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, etc., to keep on top of industry needs. Currently, there are three cohorts per year: winter (starts January), spring (starts May), and fall (starts September).
C4V also recognizes that the CAF member is successful because s/he has a support system of family and spouses who could also benefit from retraining in these fields. To that end, C4V has partnered with the Ontario Government, Ministry of Training and Skills Development, which will also supply funding for spouses, family members and reservists to participate in the program.
Going forward, C4V wishes to expand the model in Canada and other countries. The model was recently passed by the Veterans Administration in the USA, under their G.I. Bill, (Jan 2024) with a partnership with the University of Southern California. The first cohort of American students has just begun and, as this is a self-paced course, students could graduate as early as in eight months but more realistically 12-13 months. C4V, in order to promote the program, had a float in this year’s Rose Bowl Parade, the first Canadian float in this parade in 35 years. It will also have a float in this year’s Calgary Stampede so look for that if you tune in to the Stampede.
At a recent Atlético Ottawa football game, on the 28th June, 2024 C4V hosted a Military Appreciation Night to raise awareness of the contributions of military members and bring attention to its programs. In attendance for C4V was Jeff Musson, Executive Director of C4V, and doing the coin toss for Atlético and Forge FC (Hamilton) was our Parliamentary Secretary for National Defence, the Honourable Marie-France Lalonde. Again this year, the Military Wives Choir sang the national anthem from center field.
The game was hard fought between the two teams with Ottawa scoring first at the two minute mark. I wasn’t even out to the field yet from changing my lenses and I’d already missed a good photo opportunity! Play moved back and forth for the rest of the half but Atlético went into half-time with the 1-0 lead intact. However, within three minutes of the second-half starting, Forge got a goal, but not by their own effort as Ottawa scored on themselves. At 55 minutes, Forge got the go ahead goal but that only lasted seven minutes before Ottawa evened up the score at 2-2. The crowd went crazy when del Campo put in Ottawa’s third at the 70 minute mark which looked like it would be the winning goal until the 88 minute mark when Forge managed to tie it up again. Things looked like a draw until, in stoppage time, Ottawa’s Torres got the winner to close the night (4-3). So people got their money’s worth with an exciting game ending in a win.
