City leaders are calling for greater diversity and inclusion among the ranks
A census of public sector workers in the City of Kitchener has revealed a predominantly white workforce despite the fact that one in five city residents are part of a racial/ethnic minority.
Nearly 90% of city employees are reportedly white while 22% of the population are said to be visible minorities. Similarly, the majority of workers (90%) are Canada-born while more than a quarter of city residents had emigrated from another country.
“Given this discrepancy, it is clear that City of Kitchener staff do not represent the ethnic/racial diversity found in the surrounding population,” the study notes.
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City leaders are now calling for greater diversity and inclusion among the ranks. They are preparing to analyze data and consult with members of the community “from whom we have much to learn,” a statement from senior leadership said.
“For some time now, we’ve believed the City of Kitchener’s workforce is not fully reflective of the community we serve – and the data collected through our first-ever workforce census confirms that to be the case,” Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, along with other city officials, said in a joint statement.
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“When our employees bring with them a broad diversity of lived experiences and perspectives, our organization is better positioned to make decisions that serve our entire community well,” they said.
While the city has yet to finalize specific D&I initiatives for public sector staff, officials will reportedly focus on abolishing roadblocks against minorities. However, there appear to be no plans of imposing hiring quotas, early reports said.
“We are committed to taking action and making meaningful improvements – but we can’t do it alone,” the officials said. “We’re not going to make assumptions or jump to conclusions about what changes are needed.”
