American veterans need retraining for jobs after military service. Employers have good jobs they can’t fill.
Jeff Musson knows more than 500 Canadian veterans who are proof of one solution: Training veterans to code.
Musson, executive director for Canadian company, is taking his message to a worldwide stage when the group sponsors a float in the 135th Rose Parade. It will be the only Canadian entry to the New Year’s Day celebration.
“We’re really excited about this great opportunity to showcase our program, which provides a pathway for veterans to retrain and take all the soft skills they’ve learned in the military and civilianize that into careers in software development and cybersecurity,” he said. “We’re taking that tried and tested method and exporting it to the U.S.”
Founded four years ago, Coding for Veterans works with the University of Ottawa to offer completely online training for former service members, who earn an industry certification after as little as six months of study.
The company’s American partner is the University of Southern California, which speaks to the caliber of the curriculum offered by Coding for Veterans, Musson said.
“There is no better way to honor the men and women who have served in the U.S. military than by aiding their career transition through a retraining program that will qualify them for the best positions in cybersecurity and network development across all industries,” said Terry Wolfe, executive director of the USC Marshall School of Business, Office of Executive Education. “This program offers a pathway for individuals to obtain good-paying, high-quality leadership roles in cybersecurity and software development.”
The first American cohort is set to start in the New Year and should include about 12 students. Musson said. Veterans can pay for the course through the GI Bill, and depending on their circumstances, can even retrain while still in the service.
“If the GI Bill allows,…
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