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Strengthening Our Workforce through Diversity and Opportunity
Filed in Workforce Development By Leonard J. Howie III and Rachel Torres on July 20, 2016
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America’s greatest strength has always been in the diversity of its people. It’s through the plurality of our ideas, experiences and talents that we’ve revitalized our economy while sustaining our competitive edge globally.
While it is indisputable that obstacles exist for diverse communities, the causes – and therefore the remedies – aren’t always as clear. Bias toward certain groups isn’t always deliberate; there are implicit biases both at the institutional and individual level that unintentionally disadvantage people.
As part of the White House’s administration-wide effort to remove barriers and help more women and minorities transition from education to employment, the Department of Labor has launched various programs and initiatives to mitigate bias and champion diversity and inclusion.
Sharing best practices and discussing these issues are critical first steps to ensuring opportunities for all our citizens. Beyond these measures, we are investing in the field through the Employment and Training Administration. Among those investments is the Strengthening Working Families Initiative: a two-generation strategy that supports partnerships that commit to helping parents access affordable, quality child care while they develop skills and complete the training to secure good-paying jobs and launch careers in high-demand industries.
More than ever before, our diverse communities are driving innovation through the education and careers they pursue. For example, in recent years, the number of students earning doctorates in science and engineering has increased by almost 38 percent among Latinos, 32 percent for African-Americans and nearly 32 percent for women. These groups are more than keeping pace with the national average increase of about 29 percent.
The department is also pursuing numerous policies, projects and other efforts to reduce bias in the workplace. For example, the department recently published a notice of proposed rulemaking to update the federal regulations for equal employment opportunities in registered apprenticeship programs for the first time since 1978. These updates seek to ensure that Americans from all backgrounds benefit from this time-tested, earn-while-you-learn model.
America is also a land of second chances. That is why the department recently announced $64.5 million in grants to break the cycle of poverty, crime and incarceration that disproportionately affects communities of color. These initiatives are part of the Obama administration’s ongoing efforts to help Americans who have paid their debt to society reintegrate into their communities and lead prosperous, law-abiding lives. Many of the grants align closely with the administration’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which seeks to close opportunity gaps still faced by too many young people and often by boys and young men of color.
The department is also looking inward when it comes to combating bias and creating opportunities. Our work is guided by the basic American bargain that hard work should pay off and responsibility should be rewarded, regardless of one’s background or ZIP code. That’s why we’ve launched a new cross-agency Diversity and Inclusion Council to institutionalize these efforts throughout the department and ensure that our internal policies continue to reflect our mission of workplace inclusion for all Americans.
To combat implicit institutional bias – policies and practices that make it more difficult for members of certain groups to succeed – the council works to identify and recommend strategies for promoting D&I through trainings and policies. Further, the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics has special emphasis programs, campus ambassadors, and a Human Resource Governing Board that are all geared towards maximizing diversity through awareness programs, participation and trainings.
In the area of implicit individual bias – unintended and unconscious assumptions, often based on stereotypes about gender or ethnicity, which influence individuals’ judgments about other people or their work – our department held a special training called “Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People” in 2015, which was aimed at improving the organization’s unconscious perceptions when making decisions at all levels.
Through these efforts, and those of ordinary citizens, our diverse communities contribute more fully to our nation’s economy and way of life. We’ve made undeniable progress in the past few years, but we must continue the unfinished work of ensuring everyone has the chance to pursue their highest and best dreams.
Leonard Howie is the director of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, and Rachel Torres is the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Administrative Operations for the Wage and Hour Division. They are co-chairs of the department’s Diversity and Inclusion Council.