Ontario makes investment for veterans to get postsecondary credits

With Remembrance Day just days away, the Ontario government is making an investment to help veterans transition into civilian life.

In a statement, the province says they are investing $575,000 to help those in the armed forces use the skills they learned in the service to be turned into post secondary credits.

“Our government will always stand up for those who have put their lives on the line to protect Ontario,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security in a press release. “By recognizing the valuable skills veterans have gained through their service, we’re helping them enter rewarding and in-demand careers faster while strengthening Ontario’s highly skilled workforce.”

With that investment, the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT) has now launched six Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) projects at six different colleges and university across the province; including the University of Waterloo, Lakehead University, the University of Windsor, Fanshawe College, Canadore College and Georgian College.

Some the projects include getting credits towards a university-level Bachelor of Engineering, creating a database to help match military experience with credits and using artificial intelligence to speed up the learning assessments.

“As we commemorate Veterans’ Week, our government is undertaking meaningful action to help support our veterans as they transition to civilian life,” said Graham McGregor, the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism in a press release. “This investment will ensure the skills obtained from those who have served are recognized by postsecondary institutions and used to fuel their future careers.”