How military skills relate to construction

Retired Brigadier-General Gregory Matte has been chosen to lead the charge as the Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) program officially launches in Canada.

Matte will serve as executive director of the program which gives veterans exclusive access to jobs and training opportunities in the construction industry, where they can apply the skills they developed in the Canadian military.

Of the more than 85 trades in the Canadian military, at least 12 to 15 trades are directly compatible with building trades. Military personnel are often asked to do a wide variety of tasks around the world, explained Matte, pointing to the Canadian military’s involvement in rebuilding Haiti after a massive 2010 earthquake and helping rebuild infrastructure in Afghanistan.

“The skills, qualifications and experience that are earned in the military are not easily understood or ‘translated’ into civilian terms, and as such, it’s not uncommon for ex-military people to experience challenges and frustration in successfully finding a fit in the civilian workforce,” explained Matte.

“However, given that business often hires for skills, but pays for productivity, ex-military personnel quickly become recognized for their solid work ethic and ability to quickly adapt to new challenges, including management positions.”

Between 4,000 and 6,000 people retire from the regular force component of the Canadian military each year.

“The unemployment rate is higher than it has been in the last decade at least; I think there will be a hole to fill. I think there will be people that will be interested in finding steady employment and this will be one opportunity, hopefully, of others that they have,” explained Matte.

H2H and Matte recently had their first official start at the Helmets to Hardhats Fundraising Dinner on May 23 organized by a collection of construction and building trades stakeholders.

At the dinner, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a $150,000 contribution, which matches support from the province of Alberta and the federal government.

McGuinty said over the last decade Ontario’s construction labor force grew by 34 per cent, compared to just 16 per cent for the rest of the labor force. In April, $2.7 billion in building permits were issued in the province, more than the nine other provinces combined.

H2H startup costs are estimated at between $750,000 and $1 million. They include administration, website development and Matte’s salary.

The website, which will serve as a portal to pairing retiring members, including wounded vets, with opportunities in the construction trades, is set to launch soon. More Canadians served in Afghanistan than Korea and of those who returned from Afghanistan, 4,181 are collecting disability payments from Veterans Affairs.

Matte graduated with distinction in 1985 from Royal Roads Military College in Victoria with a BSc in Computer Science and Physics and was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal.

He began his military career as a private in the reserves.

In 1995 Matte completed a United Nations tour as a Forward Air Controller in the Balkans, serving initially at CANBAT 1 in Croatia during Operation Storm, and then with the British Cavalry in Bosnia during Operation Deliberate Force, the NATO bombing campaign that led to the Dayton Peace Accord.

Matte was also raised in a military milieu.

“My father spent a long career in the Air Force as an aircraft technician. Furthermore, my father-in-law was also a technician in the Air Force. So, I also understand the importance of family and that a former military member is able to find a new career that both pays well and also offers good benefits and job security.”

The program is expected to be running “full blast” by January 2013. To help further develop the program, Matte will meet with the executive director of the American program, which began in 2003, as well as with the Canadian Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces and with Veterans Affairs Canada to find a way to work together.