New online career tool for exiting military members

DND ~

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have a new tool to help facilitate their transition into the civilian workforce.

MNET, which officially launched Oct. 16, 2017, is a new, free to use, online career transition tool that matches military occupations with civilian occupations and job openings. MNET is short for Military Occupational Structure ID (MOSID) to National Occupational Classification (NOC) Equivalency Tool.

To use MNET, CAF members and Veterans just need to enter information about their military career and a matching civilian occupation with job description, as well as a link to relevant civilian employment opportunities on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank is produced.

Employers are also able to use MNET, which can help them to understand a particular military occupation and lets them post forecasted job openings specifically for Veterans.

“It is exciting to see the implementation of this great initiative well ahead of schedule. It would not have been possible without the commitment from interdepartmental cooperation throughout this process,” said Brigadier-General Mark Misener, the General Officer leading the creation of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group. “CAF members often think little of the training and experiences that they have amassed during their careers and the weight it can carry over into the competitive labour market.”

MNET is the result of coordinated efforts by the CAF’s Directorate of Casualty Support Management, the Military Personnel Generation Learning Support Centre, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). For example, in order to allow for the translation of military occupations to civilian equivalents, ESDC provided access to its vast catalogue on occupational information in Canada, which categorizes more than 30,000 occupational titles into groups that are organized according to skill types and levels.

The online tool, based on a United States Department of Labor application, was created and customized for Canadian military needs in large part using existing resources and therefore at a low cost of $18,000.

“The small cost of this system, when you look at how it will simplify job and personnel searches and make life easier for transitioning members, is really incredible,” said Captain (retired) Andy Choquette, one of MNET’s creators.

In addition to MNET, Veterans also have access to VAC’s Veterans in the Public Service Unit, which was formed to help Veterans navigate the federal public service hiring process. This new unit assists Veterans by providing them with possible public service opportunities that match their skills and education, and also works with managers from across the public service to promote the training and experiences of Canadian Veterans for employment.

Other components for MNET, such as a military skills translator and a mobile app, will be introduced in the coming months to continue enhancing member readiness for a successful military to civilian transition.

Access to MNET is now available at: http://caface-rfacace.forces.gc.ca/mnet-oesc/