DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN ENGINEERING AT CITY OF VANCOUVER
Speaker: Jhenifer Pabillano and Justine Clift
The City of Vancouver is comprised of a diverse population that contributes uniquely to the community as a whole, and the City is aiming to create a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities it serves. The City’s Engineering Department has recently developed a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. This presentation will walk participants through the drivers and process that led to the development of the plan, and the challenges encountered in implementation. It will also reveal key lessons learned to date, as well as provide recommendations for organizations who are interested in pursuing similar initiatives.
SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS SUCCESS
Speaker: Kear Porttris
As Indigenous voices and communities continue to build strength and capacity in their traditional territories, integrating Indigenous people into project work is pivotal in the success of many Canadian projects. That being said, attracting Indigenous people to engineering is as important in supporting all communities in the long-term. This integration should be happening at all levels, and engineers in British Columbia need to be aware of their roles in supporting Indigenous people in taking on more responsibilities and technical positions on projects.
INTERRUPTING UNCONCIOUS BIAS IN A TIME OF DISRUPTION - BUILDING INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES
Speaker: Erin Davis
Unconscious biases: we all have them. They are automatic and efficient mental shortcuts and associations. However, they can have a huge impact on talent management and leadership development within organizations. In the business world, especially in a time of disruption, unconscious bias is now widely seen as a key barrier to creating a more diverse, inclusive and innovative workplace. Therefore, awareness of bias and how to interrupt it needs to be a high priority with companies and leaders who take inclusion and talent management seriously.
FOSTERING INCLUSION: ALLYSHIP AND ITS IMPACT ON WORKPLACE CULTURE
Speaker: Lucy De Souza
Project RISE is a data-driven initiative promoting inclusive cultural change for engineers. This presentation will define allyship as a multi-dimensional set of actions in support of women and other marginalized groups, and will discuss research-based suggestions of how to promote allyship, and the role of social norms in both encouraging and inhibiting allies. The research findings demonstrate the positive impacts of allies in engineering workplace cultures.