We also formed a Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee (JEDI Access Committee) to improve overall diversity, equity and inclusion, making the following progress:
- After analyzing the gaps in OBC culture and systems, we began to work collaboratively within the organization to address these issues - the JEDI Access Committee is a result of this work.
- Thanks to funds donated by Gore Mutual, we've hired three youth advisors who have made significant contributions to our DEI initiatives.
- Our Human Resources team revised OBC's hiring practices to be more inclusive of marginalised groups, and the feedback from applicants has been encouraging. Of 15 key positions filled in 2022, seven identified as BIPOC and four identified as members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
- We established a 2SLGBTQ+ Task Force to increase the number of students in our affinity courses through various initiatives and strategies.
- The People & Operations team has identified a lack of clean data to make decisions and understand workforce trends, so in 2022 we developed a robust onboarding survey package for new employees to complete. This survey will allow us to capture demographic data, religious and cultural holidays, and dietary needs for group events.
- We have reinstated our weekly anti-oppression discussion group, where staff can share ideas and insights on topics related to anti-oppression.