Equity Diversity and Inclusion Report Released
The pandemic revealed that women, youth, persons with disabilities, newcomers, Indigenous, racialized communities, and 2SLGBTQI+ Communities are at a greater risk of labour market shocks. This fact moved the Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) to revise our research strategy and create a research standard that applies an equity lens to all future data collection. As we moved through this pandemic, the DWA discovered that many of our residents were struggling before it, and fared poorly during it. Going back to the way things were before is not an option. The pandemic challenges the DWA to rethink how we approach labour market data collection, research, and reporting to assist the broader community in ensuring that everyone has a place in the labour market, as they desire.
The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) report examines labour market outcomes of women, persons with disabilities, newcomers, Indigenous, racialized communities and 2SLGBTQI+ Communities to develop a better understanding of the different aspects of systemic and structural factors that facilitate barriers to labour force participation.
An essential goal of this report is to broaden the DWA’s understanding of the local labour market. The report includes an overview of the significant patterns and trends in the labour market for underrepresented groups, including the labour market experience and outcomes for these groups as well as the role of employers. Included in this report, the DWA created a new research standard that seeks to find appropriate data collection methods, reporting techniques, and styles that are not exclusive or colonial, connecting to new community partners to better serve job seekers, learners, and those with lived experience.
New this year, the DWA convened an ad hoc community advisory group from our community partners to review the EDI plan. We thank those partners for their interest in our work; their insights are invaluable.
The Workforce Planning Boards are workplace intermediaries that improve labour market conditions in local communities through enhanced collection and dissemination of local labour market information and community engagement to drive regional approaches in the planning and delivery of employment and training services. The Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) has 27 years of experience delivering local labour market information to Durham Region stakeholders.
To read the report, click here.