Here are 3 Canadian employers supporting black, minority groups in 2024

Accenture, the University of Toronto (U of T), and McGill University, along with other organisations in Canada, have been recognised among Canada’s 100 Best Diversity Employers for 2024.

The recognition comes as part of the competition that honours companies that excel in fostering workplace diversity and inclusiveness.

This accolade highlights their exceptional programmes aimed at supporting key groups: visible minorities (including the Black community and newcomers), women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ individuals.

The process involved a detailed review of diversity programs at different organisations which was then compared with others in the same industry. Organisations that showed strong support for at least one of the five recognised diversity groups received awards.

However, this article focuses on the programs that help visible minorities, that is the Black community and newcomers to Canada.

Why do these organizations make the list

1. Accenture Inc.

Accenture was recognised as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2024 due to its commitment to achieving internal workforce representation goals by 2025 across nine diversity dimensions: Asian, Black, Latin/Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, military, LGBTQ and women.

The company tracks its progress through monthly reviews of a Canadian scorecard, which provides metrics on headcount mix, recruitment mix, and turnover gap.

Additionally, Accenture collaborates with community partners to offer one-year apprenticeships to marginalised youth, Indigenous communities, newcomers to Canada, and refugees, providing them with training in new and emerging technologies.

2. The University of Toronto (U of T) 

The U of T was selected for its extensive efforts in promoting racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. U of T’s anti-racism and cultural diversity office provides professional development courses to enhance faculty and staff’s understanding of their roles and responsibilities in advancing these goals. These courses cover topics such as addressing anti-Black racism, preventing racial discrimination and harassment, and managing microaggressions.

3. McGill University 

This university earned its place among Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for its comprehensive five-year action plan to tackle anti-Black racism.

This plan, developed in consultation with stakeholders across the university, includes a commitment to hiring five per cent Black tenure-track or tenured professors by 2032, with an interim target of at least 40 Black tenure-track and tenured professors by 2025.

McGill also aims to increase the representation of Black management and executive staff from 3.4 per cent to 5 per cent by 2025 and 6.8 per cent by 2032.

As part of this action plan, McGill recently launched an internal internship pilot program for Black-identifying employees, featuring coaching and experiential learning opportunities.