Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION E-NEWSLETTER 2022
We are proud to belong to the Community of Accessible Employers!
Is your BC business working towards accessible employment? Join the community.
Do you want to be a more inclusive and accessible employer? Take this 15 minute Disability Inclusive Employer Self-Assessment to gain a deeper understanding of where you’re doing well and where there’s room to improve.
Creating Accessible Workplaces Training
The Surrey Board of Trade, in partnership with the Presidents Group, is offering access to free training to help build your skills and confidence in employing people with disabilities. The content is relevant to anyone involved in hiring or managing people.
This 5-part course can be completed online at your own pace. Each module takes about 30 minutes to complete. You’ll learn the business case for inclusive workplaces, legal requirements, and terminology, and common workplace barriers employers can address. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate and your company can be listed on the accessibleemployers.ca website.
The course includes the following modules:
- Legal Requirements of an Inclusive Employer
- Accommodations in the Workplace
- Elements of Inclusive Workplaces
- Removing Barriers
- Knowledge into Action
How to Register:
To register for the Creating Accessible Workplaces Certificate Course, please go to learning.accessibleemployers.ca, then click on the square “Do you have an enrollment key?” and enter the following information:
Enrollment Key Name: SBOTMember
To learn more about the launch of this certificate program view this discussion with SBOT President and CEO Anita Huberman and Presidents Group Co-chair Robin Silvester about why inclusive employment matters and how Surrey businesses can use this exclusive training opportunity to build their inclusive workplace culture.
About the Presidents Group:
Presidents Group is a network of 25 change-driven BC business leaders who are champions for more accessible, inclusive workplaces. Leaders of businesses of all different sizes and sectors are represented, and nearly 60,000 British Columbians are employed at the Presidents Group’s member organizations. These leaders meet quarterly to share best practices amongst one another and serve an advisory role to BC’s Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. Presidents Group also supports the Community of Accessible Employers, which gives employers beyond the 25 members the chance to join the movement to accessible employment, through free events, networking, and curriculum. Currently, over 250 different companies from across the province have staff signed up for our Community.
2021 DIVERSITY INSTITUTE IMPACT REPORT
Impact Report
LINKS
How to Make Your Online Job Application More Accessible and Inclusive
International Day of Living Together in Peace
World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness & Visibility Day
Enabling disability inclusion in the workplace
Employers’ Lessons Learned in Hiring, Retaining and Advancing Employees with Disabilities
How to Talk About Disability Sensitively and Avoid Ableist Tropes
Resources
WorkBC
WorkBC Assistive Technology Services provides assistive technology or support to individuals with disabilities to assist them to gain and sustain employment or community attachment.
University of Victoria (UVIC)
Can Assist at the University of Victoria is dedicated to helping people with disabilities improve their quality of life, with a focus on promoting independence and inclusion.
Their team develops innovative technologies and programs where there are gaps in existing services. For more information contact: Patrick Jobe at youthstratmgr@uvic.ca.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives at the University of Victoria (UVic) Co-op + Career’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), has recently created an EDI Team. if you have questions related to employment opportunities for students across all UVic Co-op + Career programs who face barriers to employment. Contact: Claire Andrews at ediemployment@uvic.ca.
Small Business BC (SBBC)
Small Business BC helps British Columbia’s entrepreneurs grow successful and sustainable businesses through expert business advisors, educational services, easy-to-use free resources, and engaging community events.
Small Business BC is proud to be a diverse and accessible employer. Watch this video to learn how they encourage and uplift their team through the inspiring stories of Roop Johal, Business Development & Sponsorship Manager, and Tom Conway, our CEO.
Hire For Talent
Hire for Talent– is an Inclusive Canadian Workforce with a national project that will deliver a Canada-wide awareness campaign aimed at increasing the confidence of employers when hiring people with disabilities.
Their awareness campaign also aims to increase employer awareness about how people with disabilities are a talented part of the workforce and will provide resources to help employers tap into this talent pool during their search for skilled workers.
Neil Squire
Neil Squire with the use of use technology, knowledge, and passion Neil Squire empowers Canadians with disabilities.
Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
PHSA provides educational opportunities and courses for learning about gender diversity and creating gender-affirming environments. To know more about the courses and the registration process, click here and for training opportunities, click here.
