Call for Permit Holders to Take Part in an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Pilot Study
APEGA is currently seeking three permit holder companies in Alberta to volunteer to pilot a policy guideline on diversity and inclusion best practices for a year. Companies can expect to get individualized support to facilitate the implementation of the guidelines, and ideally see a real difference in their organization in terms of the success of women in the workplace.
Successful applicants for this one-year pilot study will be companies that are already committed to starting or improving their EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) policies and procedures. While there will be no monetary support for these company partners, APEGA will be providing support in the following ways:
- Benchmarking of the company’s current EDI status (completed by APEGA staff trained in EDI). This assessment will evaluate a variety of inclusion initiatives, including hiring and retaining diverse talent, parental leave, flexible work options, pay equity, mentoring and networking, workplace culture, and discrimination and harassment.
- Dedicated assistance (up to 5 hours) in initiating a plan for policy change, informed by current EDI research and what we heard from members during the consultation phase of the grant.
- Ongoing support and consultation from APEGA staff trained in EDI throughout the duration of the pilot, through a combination of in-person, phone, and virtual connections.
- Comparative benchmarking of EDI status completed at the end of the pilot, to measure pilot project effectiveness.
How to Apply to the Pilot
Fill out the online application linked below once you have ensured you have the following information. If you have any questions about these requirements, email [email protected].
Information to Provide
- Company name, description of work, and location
- The number of APEGA members (engineers and geoscientists) employed in your workplace
- The number of APEGA members in your workplace who are female
- Contact details for at least one dedicated staff member who will be assigned as the contact for this project
- A letter of support from an executive member of your organization pledging their support for the pilot program
Commitments for All Participating Companies
- Complete our Pay Equity and Inclusion Survey, to be released mid-August
- Share with APEGA your current policies and procedures related to staff recruitment, training, benefits, and related topics
- Maintain a valid Permit to Practice with APEGA
- At least one staff member assigned to supporting the initiative and implementing recommendations
Background
In 2018, APEGA received a three-year, $350,000 grant from the Ministry of Status of Women Canada (now Department of Women and Gender Equality, or WAGE) to investigate the barriers women face in the engineering and geoscience workplace. The initial phase of the grant involved an online survey on diversity and inclusion and in-person consultations where members reported their ideas, experiences, and perceptions regarding barriers women face in the workplace, and made suggestions about policies that would address these barriers.
The second phase of the grant involves partnering with three permit holding companies in Alberta for a one-year case study to pilot a policy guideline document on diversity and inclusion best practices to see if improvement can be made during the year for women in the workplace.
The grant project will be completed by publishing our findings, results from our pilots with companies, and a policy guidelines document that outlines recommendations for creating inclusive and diverse workplace culture within our professions.