C 4. Diversity Skills that Work at Work
Level: All levels
Settlement workers assisting their clients to enter workplaces that are highly diverse face a challenge. What relationship-building skills do their clients need to get and keep a job in workplaces with people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, gender and sexual orientation, age, class and other important identities?
This lively and thought provoking workshop is for front line staff, and managers and board members who want to create inclusive working environments. Through interactive activities, story sharing, and small group practice, participants will work on the 4 skills that help create inclusive working relationships: Celebration, Recognition, Attention-giving and Appreciation
The workshop will guide people through a process that takes them deeper into the discussion of diversity and gives them tools to more effectively assist their clients. They will explore the positive impact of celebrating identities, and recognizing the struggles of different groups. They will explore some “isms” that are not commonly understood, including men’s oppression, classism and young peoples’ oppression. They will look at the intersection of cultural differences and equity dynamics, and how they impact peoples’ sense of inclusion in the workplace. And they will practice the skills of attention-giving and appreciation that are essential to building relationships with coworkers. Finally, case studies related to workplace diversity will be discussed in groups to give participant the opportunity to apply the learnings from the workshop.
Over 80 staff at Skills for Change have been successfully trained in this workshop, as well as clients and partners in the community. The Diversity Principles that the agency has developed to support its diversity program will be shared.
Janis Galway has been developing and facilitating diversity and anti-oppression trainings in community based agencies for over 25 years. A founder of Skills for Change, she has recently returned there to implement an agency-wide diversity program for staff, clients, board and community partners. She served on the OCASI staff in the past, and is the author of OCASI’s “Immigrant Settlement Counselling: a Training Guide”. Her most recent project was founding Community Builders Youth Leadership to do diversity work with students, parents and teachers in schools.
Vibha Vohra-Bhalla has over 20 years experience working in the Social Services sector both with not-for-profit organizations and government. Currently Vibha is a Manager of Programs and Services at Skills for Change with the Peel office. Previously she was a Supervisor with Ontario Works in Halton Region. Vibha graduated from University of Toronto with a BSc. Honours in Psychology. She brings a very strong background in program management and community development.
