Updated edition of Military to Civilian Employment book to be published next year

The CERIC Board of Directors recently approved a project to revise Military to Civilian Employment: A Career Practitioner’s Guide for publication in January 2025. The new edition would reflect substantive changes within the Canadian military ecosystem and ensure that Canadian career professionals have an up-to-date resource to help ex-military clients smoothly transition from military roles into the civilian workforce. 

This second edition of the book will once again be authored by Canadian careers expert Yvonne Rodney, in collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group, Veterans Affairs Canada, Military Family Services as well as the Chief of Reserves and Employer Support. Organizations in Canada active in supporting veterans and military-to-civilian transitions are also again invited to become part of the project as Knowledge Champions. 

First released in 2016, more than 16,000 copies of the original book have been distributed. As with the first edition, the follow up will also be available both for sale as well as free download in English and French. The original edition was embraced by career development professionals across Canada seeking to be better equipped to support veterans in navigating the civilian job market and educational opportunities. 

 “The Military to Civilian Career Guide is an invaluable tool for Career Development Practitioners (CDPs) working with transitioning members of the military. It provides knowledge and comprehensive insight into needs, skills and experiences of members of the military, as well as effective tools and strategies for next steps. Yvonne uses storytelling, which brings the guide to life, providing a more immersive and dynamic learning experience. We have assisted military members and their families with career transitions, and we could not have done this as effectively without this guide. We look forward to an updated version of the Military to Civilian Career Guide which will ensure we provide the best possible service for our clients.” 

– Sue Watts, Executive Director, Employment + Education Centre, Brockville, ON 

The demand for support with employment transition for veterans remains high. The 2021 Statistics Canada Census of Population shows there are more than 450,000 veterans in Canada (up to age 59). Additionally, each year in Canada, approximately 8,000 military members are released from service (up from 5,000 each year when the original book was published) and increasingly at a younger age. 

Content for the second edition of the book will be updated to address current realities. In particular, the concept of “Military Cultural Competent Counselling” or M3C has emerged as a foundational approach to supporting veterans. Military cultural competence requires learning about military and veterans’ culture to be able to understand their unique experiences. Further, the kinds of services and support provided to transitioning military members has shifted as a result of Canada’s new Strong, Secure, Engaged Defence Policy and been augmented under the framework of the “Seven domains of well-being,” of which employment or meaningful purpose is at the top. It is also anticipated that new chapters would be added on reservists as well as on recruitment for the first time, informing career professionals about opportunities for clients to join the military as well as exit it.  

In the decade since CERIC began to develop the first edition of the book, it has continued to support military transition, including funding another project A Question of Style, that examined employer bias regarding veteran working style and continued to point the way for how career professionals can best support veterans in making the transition from military to civilian careers.  

The upcoming Cannexus conference, taking place Jan. 29-31, 2024, both online as well in Ottawa will also feature several military-focused presentations: 

• MCC: Military Cultural Competency Counselling with Jordan Camarda, Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group (in-person) 
• Empowering Military Spouses’ Employment and Economic Opportunities with Elizabeth Nicholas, Trenton Military Family Resource Centre and Vanessa Walsh, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (virtual) 
• Canadian Forces Recruiting Group will also be back exhibiting for the first time since 2020 

For more information on this project or to get involved, please contact Sharon Ferriss, CERIC’s Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at sharon@ceric.ca