Through various conversations with industry stakeholders, it has come to our attention that there is a need and a want to begin pertinent conversations regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and second/fair chance employment within all aspects of the equine industry. Through these discussions, we are developing an educational webinar series, an employer toolkit, as well as jump-starting an open conversation portal in which employers can collaborate amongst themselves regarding best practices and avenues for improvement. The main points we are plan to address include:
- A suggested industry baseline for hiring practices regarding general and implicit biases
- Educating employers on the benefits of including diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices in their business operations
- The value of second/fair chance employment and how it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion
The first step in this initiative is surveying industry leaders and employers in order to gather thoughts on the “hot topics” for the educational webinar series. This will also give us a starting point for where the industry currently is in hiring practices. Once the survey is completed, we will compile a panel of content experts and representatives from the equine industry to speak on how the industry currently addresses hiring practices and where the industry needs to improve.
It is our hope that we can create both educational materials and a safe space for communication on the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion and can help to propel the industry forward in these areas.
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