Canadian Legacy Project to host entrepreneurial program for veterans

Canadian Legacy Project (CLP) and Calgary-based Mount Royal University Faculty of Continuing Education are bringing an entrepreneurial training program designed specifically for Canadian military veterans to Ottawa. 

The Veteran Business Boot Camp is a free, five-day certificate program designed to open doors to entrepreneurial opportunities and small business ownership for military veterans looking to build new careers. 

The program will run from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 at the Carleton University campus.

Veterans learn the many steps and skills required to create and sustain an entrepreneurial venture and get help finding additional programs and services.

“Many of our Canadian veterans are having a challenging time transitioning to civilian life and finding a job. While there are several programs designed to help in finding work, there are few national programs designed to help veterans start their own business,” said David Howard, president and founder of the Canadian Legacy Project.

Veterans Canada reports 649,300 Canadian military veterans are living in Canada. 

According to a report by the Veteran Transition Advisory Council, “employers do not take advantage of highly skilled and motivated veteran employees,” citing U.S. data that points to the transferability of veterans’ skills as a top reason. 

The Veteran Business Boot Camp aims to reduce the barriers for veterans in finding work by teaching them how to apply their skills and motivation to entrepreneurship.

After successfully launching the program in Calgary, and filling to capacity,  CLP and Mount Royal are expanding the Veteran Business Boot Camp program to locations across Canada.

Caprice Brunelle, who spent 27 years in the Canadian military, completed the inaugural Veteran Boot Camp program in Calgary. Although she has a Masters in Business, Brunelle appreciated the practical aspect of the program.

“My business idea is very complex. I could go for hours on the research on just one aspect of it. The program allowed me to grasp my business idea and put it on one piece of paper. That was very helpful to me,” Brunelle said of her idea that tackles the “management of systemic problems,” that touches on everything from health care to housing to seniors’ issues. “It motivated me to really think about marketing and reaching out to the end-user.”

. The program is based on a continuing education certificate program in entrepreneurship, which has been offered in Calgary for more than 25 years.

“Mount Royal is proud to provide relevant programming that helps veterans achieve their business goals through practical, student-focused learning and builds a strong foundation for their entrepreneurial endeavours,” said Dimitra Fotopoulos, director, Faculty of Continuing Education at Mount Royal.

For more information about how to register for the Veteran Bootcamp, or to get details about other locations, visit their website here.