December 14, 2020
By Jim Wilson, HR Reporter
The federal government has launched a “50 – 30 Challenge” to advance and recognize diversity, inclusion and economic prosperity across the country.
The challenge sets two goals for the boards and senior management of each participating organization: gender parity (50 per cent) and significant representation of under-represented groups (30 per cent).
“The existence of systemic discrimination is not up for debate, as we’ve witnessed with particular intensity through recent events. The status quo is neither sustainable nor beneficial for Canada,” says Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science and industry.
“The 50 – 30 Challenge encourages companies and organizations of all sizes to embrace the full diversity and talent of their communities, and doing so will bring key insights and perspectives to their decision-making tables. It just makes sense to bring in and nurture all the right talent, and we are helping organizations do just that.”
As part of the initiative, the government is also investing $33 million for the development of tools and resources to help participating organizations advance diversity and inclusion in workplaces. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) will leverage its programs to encourage companies that receive ISED funding to advance diversity and inclusion within their organizations.