HALIFAX—On July 27^th, the Dallaire Initiative graduated its third cohort of twelve veterans into the Wounded Warriors Canada Veteran Trainers to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers (VTECS) program at Dalhousie University.

The VTECS program provides an opportunity to receive focused education in the field of children affected by armed conflict and assist in developing instructor and facilitation skills that will be a benefit in all areas for Veterans transitioning from military to civilian life employment. Through the completion of the VTECS program, participants will become community educators and advocates, championing the Dallaire Initiative’s vision of a world where children are no longer recruited or used as weapons of war.

Scott Maxwell, Executive Director of Wounded Warriors Canada, commented, “We continue to work with Veterans who are struggling to transition their specialized skills to the civilian workspace. We believe the VTECS program is a force multiplier – leveraging the skill set of our highly trained Veterans while also providing skills transition training; access to an academic environment; credits/accreditation possibilities and employment opportunities. On behalf of Wounded Warriors Canada, we congratulate the third cohort on their graduation and wish them the very best as they progress through the program in the months and years ahead.”