As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That Veterans Affairs Canada increase the promotion of its employment programs and services to military members and veterans through partnerships with military and veterans’ organizations, and that it measure and report annually on the effectiveness of its promotional activities.

Recommendation 2

That Veterans Affairs Canada develop appropriate metrics for all its programs before implementing them, and that it report annually on the performance of those programs.

Recommendation 3

That the Government of Canada ensure that public service managers and human resources specialists receive regular training regarding the rules and obligations under the Veterans Hiring Act.

Recommendation 4

That the Government of Canada develop a comprehensive and measurable career transitioning and training program to explain the provisions of the Veterans Hiring Act, including entitlement—as well as the federal public service hiring, application, and interview process—to all Canadian Armed Forces members upon their hiring, and to veterans before their release.

Recommendation 5

That the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat provide veterans with the relocation benefits that are provided to public servants so that veterans can satisfy the location requirements of public service positions, and that the Treasury Board of Canada’s relocation policy be expanded to make eligible anyone who has served at least five years in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Recommendation 6

That the Public Service Employment Act be amended to expand the definition of a “veteran” to include serving reservists.

Recommendation 7

That, given the length of the application process for federal public service positions, the time limit for both the statutory and regulatory priority entitlement periods be extended or removed.

Recommendation 8

That the Government of Canada establish clear targets for the implementation of the Veterans Hiring Act for each department and agency, along with sub-targets for various position levels, and make senior managers accountable for meeting these targets.

Recommendation 9

That federal departments and agencies report annually to the Veterans Ombudsman the number of veterans they hire and employ per position level, including through the statutory priority entitlement, regulatory entitlement, preference for appointment and the mobility provision of the Veterans Hiring Act, so that the Veterans Ombudsman can track trends and evaluate departments’ and agencies’ success rates.

Recommendation 10

That the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat ensure, while respecting the requirements of collective agreements, that service in the military, including in the Regular Force, the Reserve and the Reserve Overseas, be counted on a one-for-one basis for vacation accrual and seniority rights for shift and vacation scheduling.

Recommendation 11

That the Government of Canada promote the value of hiring veterans, especially in the federal public service, and ensure that public service managers and human resources are trained in the skills and qualifications of military members, so that they can identify civilian equivalents.

Recommendation 12

That the Government of Canada develop, as suggested by the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence in June 2014, a comprehensive, algorithmic, military skill translation software tool to help military members obtain civilian employment upon release.

Recommendation 13

That the federal public service recognize work experience and qualifications gained in the military as commensurate with civilian work experience and qualifications.

Recommendation 14

That the Government of Canada improve services offered to military members and veterans to secure employment, including career coaching services and public service job application training, by creating a veterans liaison to assist them in navigating the federal public service hiring process and to support them after they are hired.

Recommendation 15

That the Government of Canada ensure that hiring managers and human resources specialists provide veterans not selected for public service positions with feedback in writing, and that the feedback be forwarded automatically to the Veterans Ombudsman.

Recommendation 16

That the Government of Canada create a new, flexible and agile veterans-only job classification that cannot be backfilled by civilians.

Recommendation 17

That the Government of Canada explore options to ensure seamless transitions from the military to the public service.