Ottawa ON
Canada
Guy Parent, Canada's Veterans Ombudsman, is pleased with the changes to the Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation Program announced today at Humber College in Toronto by the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs. “They meet the intent of the recommendations made in two recent reports released by my office, Investing in Veterans Vocational Training and Improving the New Veterans Charter, published at the end of September and last week respectively,” said Mr. Parent.
An expanded list of training expenses will now be considered in individual vocational rehabilitation plans, such as required computer software, e-books, campus parking and training equipment. Veterans are now also able to claim individual vocational rehabilitation expenses through an overall program funding envelope, to a maximum total value of up to $75,800 per person. This change gives Veterans more flexibility in their vocational rehabilitation plans, which are based on the individual needs of each Veteran. As a result training plan approval and claims processing should be simplified, providing Veterans with decisions more quickly.
"The changes represent a timely adjustment to the flexibility and financial aspect of the Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation Program and will help improve Veterans’ vocational rehabilitation success after they leave the military," said Mr. Parent.
"Former Canadian Forces members are a well-trained and highly skilled population that has a great deal to offer to the Canadian workforce and economy," said the Veterans Ombudsman. "Veterans deserve to be given the appropriate post-release training to self-actualize in the profession of their choice. In doing so, there can be significant benefits to both the Government of Canada and to Veterans and their families."
The Office of the Veterans Ombudsman works on three aspects of fairness: Adequacy, Sufficiency and Access. "We will continue in our work and look forward to further improvements in the accessibility of the Veterans Vocational Rehabilitation Program,” said Mr. Parent. "We will also be looking for improvements to other issues, such as the implementation of reliable measurement performance instruments."