Welcoming Workplaces: Summer Training Re-Cap
On June 13th, human resource and operations professionals from 7 of Southern Vermont’s largest businesses including Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Chroma Technology Corps, Commonwealth Dairy, and The Brattleboro Retreat, participated in a Welcoming Workplaces workshop.
This event was the next in a series of diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops hosted by the Southern Vermont Welcoming Communities initiative, led by the BDCC. The training was delivered by Emilano Void from nuwave Equity, a BIPOC-owned and led consulting firm who takes an education and awareness based approach to structural workplace equity.
Void sets the stage with participants by succinctly examining structural racism and anti-blackness throughout American history, as well as exploring principals of human psychology that lead to bias. Void also makes a compelling case for diversity as the key to enhancing an organization’s performance and long-term success.
The group engaged in discussion and activities that explored the role of bias and privilege, and then delved deeper into the data around workplace productivity loss due to lack of equity and inclusion. Tools, tips, best practices, and mental models were explored, with the hopes that attendees would return to their workplaces as more skillful leaders in their organizations DEI efforts.
The workshop ended focusing on New Vermonters, and how our regions employers can better ensure all of their BIPOC and foreign-born workers feel valued, empowered, and welcomed in the workplace. Void has worked closely with Alex Beck at BDCC to design, adapt and implement trainings for southern Vermont employers.
This work is delivered through BDCC Welcoming Communities programming, in partnership with the CEC Diverse Workforce Development Committee and Vermont Community Foundation. Welcoming Communities is a series of initiatives and collaborative partnerships that seeks to make the region more equitable and inclusive for current and future BIPOC community members, and for foreign-born workers, and non-citizen residents. It seeks to improve the ways in which all BDCC programs serve diverse stakeholders, and launches new targeted activities through partnerships with employers and community-based organizations. The long-term goal of Welcoming Communities is to build a community and economy that supports diversity, immigration and in-migration to southern Vermont to increase the vitality of our communities and strength of our workforce. For more information please visit www.brattleborodevelopment.com
