February 25, 2022 – “I believe that large organizations have a responsibility to share their resources […]” said Jennifer Khan, Head of Inclusive Diversity with EllisDon—an employee-owned, $5 billion-a-year construction services company.

In collaboration with the Canadian Construction Association, EllisDon held a virtual, industry-wide “bystander intervention” training program to raise awareness and provide industry partners with tools to promote inclusivity on construction sites and offices country-wide.

The 90-minute, interactive session drew more than 500 participants from an array of organizations and stakeholders across the construction spectrum.

“This conversation specifically—about bystander intervention—is about optimism,” Jennifer tells Electrical Business Magazine. “It’s about action-oriented behaviour, and an approach to humanity that actually reminds people that discrimination and harassment occur, but we can do something about it.”

True to her word, Jennifer was more than happy to share information with us from that day, offering statistics on the current state of DEI shortcomings, the “5Ds” of bystander intervention, and EllisDon’s diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) efforts in the industry.

“The end goal of this training is to move the goal posts; to set a higher standard of what is acceptable and not acceptable… not only in construction but, honestly, in society at large,” Jennifer says.

Additional Resources

Hollaback

CCA Diversity & Inclusion: A Call to Action

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