NEWS RELEASE
CODING FOR VETERANS
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The Coding For Veterans Career Caravan will begin its mission to bring our troops from “deployment to employment,” even in the face of COVID-19, with a first stop at Denison Armoury (formerly CFB Downsview) on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020.
The primary goal is to harness the skills and experiences of veterans who’ve served our country and train them for second careers as software and cyber-security professionals at salaries immediately approaching $100,000 annually.
It’s estimated 182,000 skilled software and cyber-security positions will go unfilled in the next couple of years.
The Caravan is COVID-19 compliant, meaning veterans will be able to secure invaluable career advice in person, socially distanced while following safety protocols set out by public health.
“They served us all with dedication and sacrifice during their military career and now we are providing them an opportunity to help fill the urgent skills shortage in the IT sector, which is causing a critical drag on the Canadian economy,” says Jeff Musson, Coding For Veterans CEO.
Coding For Veterans is an intensive eight-month course offered in partnership with the University of Ottawa that provides the graduating military veterans with job-ready training and certification.
“We are providing the military veterans with the tools required for a career in IT,” says CFV executive director Pat Shaw. “We have tech companies, defence contractors and government agencies interested in filling their talent requirements with graduates from our program, while at the same time, our program provides military veterans with a solid career in which to gain stable, long-term employment.”
Every year, approximately 7,000 men and women leave the Canadian Forces. They’re often perceived as only having the training for security work or policing. But CFV has done extensive research to determine that our military personnel are especially suited to software and cyber security work.
COVID-19 restrictions have all but halted the usual job fairs people leaving the military depend upon to help them transition into civilian life and find good-paying jobs.
Coding For Veterans fills that gap, and offers tremendous return for applicants who pass the onboarding assessment process and graduate from the program, which is delivered 100 per cent online.
The Coding For Veterans tour will stop at most major military installations and training centres in Ontario ahead of Remembrance Day 2020 — when it will deploy in our nation’s capital for the special ceremonies on Nov. 11.
TOUR DATES:
Oct. 21, TORONTO – Denison Armoury, Military Family Resource Centre (former CFB Downsview), 5 Yukon Lane, North York, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Oct. 22, CFB BORDEN (updated location) – Royal Canadian Legion Hall 499, 15 Fraser St., Angus, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Oct. 23, NORTH BAY (updated location) – Royal Canadian Legion Hall 599, 30 Legion Dr., North Bay, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Week of Oct. 26-30
PETAWAWA - CFB Petawawa
KINGSTON/TRENTON - CFB Kingston, CFB Trenton, RMC
Week of Nov. 2-6
SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO - Hamilton, London, Windsor
Week of Nov. 9-13
EASTERN ONTARIO/OTTAWA - Nov. 9, 10 and 11
OTTAWA Nov. 9 and 10 HMCS BYTOWN Officers’ Mess
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