VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HR Tech Group is thrilled to announce that the Diversity and Inclusion Tech Project has been expanded for an additional nine months due to an extension in funding from the Province of British Columbia.
The purpose of the Diversity and Inclusion Tech Project is to increase the attraction, retention and advancement of women, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people of colour, newcomers to Canada, and individuals who identify as LGBTQIAS+, in addition to all under-represented groups in skilled occupations in B.C.’s technology sector.
“These populations experience historic and systemic exclusion in many aspects of their lives, including employment. Our recent Diversity in Tech Benchmark Report found that Indigenous people account for only 0.5% of the technology industry's workforce while representing 5.9% of the population in BC. Statistics like this one are showing up more regularly, making representation and equity gaps very clear. Now is the time to make a change for the better,” says Stephanie Hollingshead, CEO, HR Tech Group.
Since June 2019, HR Tech Group has launched several pilots to positively impact underrepresentation faced in the tech sector. Key outputs have included:
- Benchmarking and reporting on tech sector diversity with the Diversity in Tech Dashboard
- Creation of an Employer Toolkit for measuring diversity
- Production of an attraction, promotion and awareness campaign: Everyone Belongs in Tech
- Development of an online resource library: D&I Resource HUB
- Organizational diversity and inclusion audits
- Development and delivery of three extensive Diversity and Inclusion training programs
The success of the project has been largely possible due to the generosity and dedication of the original project sponsors: Sierra Wireless, D-Wave, Hyperwallet, Galvanize, OSI Maritime Systems, Unbounce, Method Studio, VIATEC, VanHack, & Sophos.
The extension and expansion of the project has been made possible by the financial support of Northeastern University, Orbital Learning, Focus Professional Services, Unbounce, Sierra Wireless, and Sophos.
“We are deeply appreciative of the tremendous support we’ve received from the tech sector,” says Kathy Gibson, Senior Consultant and Project Manager of HR Tech Group’s Diversity and Inclusion Tech Project. “The ecosystem is acknowledging the value and importance of this work, which has led to the expansion and extension of the project. It’s truly an interconnected community effort to move the needle on improving the representation of underrepresented individuals and creating more inclusive work environments.”
Hundreds of tech sector leaders have been engaged in the project to date and the demand for training programs and diversity audits has been far greater than the supply available through initial funding. With the additional funding received, HR Tech Group expects to double the reach of the project in 2021 by providing the following:
- 3 additional offerings of the ‘Inclusive Organizations – Executive Training’ sessions
- 2 additional offerings of the ‘Inclusive Change Agent’ training program
- 2 additional offerings of the ‘Inclusive Leadership’ training program
- 16 additional diversity and inclusion audits of technology companies
- 2 additional ‘Everyone Belongs in Tech’ video vignettes
- A 2021 Diversity in Tech Benchmarking Dashboard and Year 2 Progress Report
- Additional curated content and expanded features in the D&I Resource HUB
Through increased training opportunities, content curation, data collection, organizational audits and video vignettes, the project will continue to bring focus to the outstanding issue of underrepresentation in the sector. The resources and tools provided will help employers who wanted to make change, know where to start and what steps they can take for a more inclusive tomorrow.
“Racialized and marginalized people face historic and present-day barriers that limit their full participation in their communities, workplaces, government and their lives. The Diversity and Inclusion Tech Project will support opportunities for these underrepresented groups, which in turn will help build a more diverse and inclusive workforce for all British Columbians,” says Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives.
To build on their momentum and add to the impact they are making in BC’s tech sector, HR Tech Group is continuing to source additional sponsors. If you are interested in supporting this equity, diversity and inclusion work, please reach out to Project Manager and Senior Consultant Kathy Gibson at kgibson@hrtechgroup.com.
About HR Tech Group
www.hrtechgroup.com
HR Tech Group is a non-profit association for HR, People and Culture professionals in Canada’s tech sector. The group produces Western Canada’s leading Tech Salary Survey and provides thought leadership, training, collaboration channels and tech sector data. Our member community is instrumental to tech industry growth, and is connected through knowledge exchange, strong professional and mentoring networks and the sharing of benchmark data. Our 550+ members lead and influence the HR, people and culture practices at over 180 tech employers in all tech sectors, including ICT, film/VFX, digital media, cleantech and life sciences.
