Program Profile
Career Transition Services Program
The Career Transition Services Program (CTS) works to ensure that eligible Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Members, Reservists, Veterans, spouses, and survivors have access to services that will help develop the skills and tools they need to effectively search, apply for, and obtain employment. The current version of the program was implemented by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) in April 2018. Services are delivered by a contracted service provider and focus on three broad categories: 1) labour market information; 2) career counseling; 3) and job-finding assistance.
Education and Training Benefit
The Education and Training Benefit (ETB) is designed to help Veterans successfully transition from military to post-service life, achieve their education and post-military employment goals, and better position them to be more competitive in the civilian workforce. The benefit was implemented in April 2018.
The ETB provides a taxable benefit of up to $86,671.95 (while a Veteran is participating in a formal program) to cover tuition, fees, supplies, and some incidental and living expenses. In addition, participants may access funding to contribute to the fees and costs associated with one-time courses aimed at self-fulfillment and personal interest and development. Veterans may be funded for most types of formalized educational programs, depending on whether they meet the eligibility criteria.
Evaluation purpose and background
The evaluation of CTS and ETB was conducted on VAC’s behalf by Goss Gilroy Inc. between February 2021 and October 2021 and primarily focussed on the time period of April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2021. The evaluation was conducted to fulfil VAC’s requirements under the Financial Administration Act to conduct “Evaluations of ongoing programs of grants and contributions with five-year average actual expenditures of $5 million or greater per year.” The evaluation also fulfills the department’s responsibility to provide evaluation coverage of organizational spending and programs in the Department’s Program Inventory as per Treasury Board’s Policy on Results.
Findings
Relevance
ETB is largely meeting Veterans’ expectations, while Veterans identified some unmet needs associated with the CTS program. Eligibility is appropriate for both programs, although there are some areas of confusion amongst potential clients. The ETB short course funding model and the eligibility of certain one-time education-related costs and fees (e.g., licensing and exam fees) should be reviewed.
CTS and ETB generally work well together, particularly for Veterans who access education planning services through CTS. The complementary nature of the programs is reinforced in program policies and other documentation.
Effectiveness
VAC front-line staff have a general knowledge of the CTS and ETB programs. There is an opportunity to improve communications with front-line staff around the programs.
Veterans surveyed indicated that their awareness of the CTS and ETB programs while they were serving was limited. The evaluation found that being able to access ETB does not impact Veterans’ decision to leave the Canadian Armed Forces.
The evaluation finds the ETB program is being delivered effectively. Eighty percent of Veterans surveyed indicated the training funded by the program met their needs, with 59% reporting that ETB provided them with the skills and knowledge they needed to engage in activities important to them. Approximately 85% of survey respondents who participated in the ETB program indicated that they had completed their course of study or were still enrolled. Most indicated a satisfactory outcome from the program.
Client satisfaction with CTS suggests that delivery is not meeting needs or expectations. Overall, 56% of CTS clients surveyed (including clients who received both CTS and ETB) indicated satisfaction with the services received from the third-party service provider (55% indicated satisfaction with VAC services).
Most clients surveyed report their overall health and well-being, their adjustment to life after service and satisfaction with their life as good to excellent. Clients who only accessed ETB are more likely to report better outcomes in all these areas than clients who only accessed CTS.
Efficiency
Program expenditures for both CTS and ETB are on the rise historically and are forecast to increase in the coming years. Increased client uptake and expenditures are more pronounced for ETB in the forecast data.
Program data does not allow for easy measurement of program outcomes; the evaluation relied on the survey of clients to assess outcome achievement. There is an opportunity to improve data capture and integration the next time system changes are made.
Recommendations
The evaluation makes the following recommendations.
- It is recommended that the DG-SDPM improve communications about the programs among Members and Veterans, including:
- Information about eligibility for the ETB and the two-stage application process.
- Information to improve program awareness for Members planning for their release, including additional training and tools to support VAC front-line staff who support the transition.
- It is recommended that the DG-Policy undertake efforts to review the maximum amount available for ETB short courses and consider whether costs of licensing exams and fees should be included.
- It is recommended that the DG SDPM explore client satisfaction results and associated performance data to identify areas for further improvement, and gaps where further data collection is required.