Ted Rogers School of Management's Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University was founded in 1999 by Dr. Wendy Cukier with the aim of undertaking research on diversity in the workplace to improve practices in organizations.
We work with organizations to develop customized strategies, programming, and resources to promote new, interdisciplinary knowledge and practice about diversity with respect to gender, race/ethnicity, Aboriginal peoples, abilities, and sexual orientation.
We collaborate with industry, government, not-for-profits, and academics to:
- Research existing practices and evaluate programs;
- Explore barriers to full participation in the workplace;
- Develop fact-based policies and programs to help organizations attract, motivate and develop, underrepresented groups; and
- Provide customized training to support the development of diversity strategies.
Using an ecological model of change, the Diversity Institute is driving social innovation across sectors. Our action-oriented, evidence-based approach is advancing knowledge of the complex barriers faced by underrepresented groups, leading practices to effect change, and producing concrete results.
🎉 Congratulations to the newest alumni of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Hub!
Ready to start your entrepreneurial journey? 🚀
This free 5-week program provides:
✨ Business management training
🤝 Networking & mentorship
📈 Market testing & marketing support
Join the waitlist for the 20th cohort now: https://lnkd.in/eqNh7hyS
🎆 Is focusing on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to boost organizational performance in your 2025 plans?
We can help! The tools and resources available through the #50_30Challenge has been designed to help you start the conversation, create inclusive and collaborative spaces, attract the best talent and champion equity in your workplace. Start by mapping your EDI journey and get your organization started on the right path.
Check out the WhatWorks Toolkit for resources like:
- 10 tangible actions you can take
- A guidebook for your board and leadership
- A guide for sustaining organizational change
- And so much more!
➡️ https://bit.ly/3UbVml0
💡Canada excels in AI research but trails in adoption.
Canada is renowned for its advancements in artificial intelligence (#AI), with global acclaim for researchers like Geoffrey Hinton, yet our ability to integrate these innovations into the workplace is poor. Only 35% of Canadian businesses use AI compared to 72% in the U.S. The numbers are even lower for small and medium-sized enterprises (#SMEs), which make up the majority of private-sector jobs.
Our recently published report with Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures and The Environics Institute for Survey Research shed light on the landscape:
🔍 Many SMEs lack the resources, expertise and confidence to implement AI solutions.
🔍 Among employees using AI, 44% have received no formal training, raising risks around intellectual property, privacy and cybersecurity.
🔍 Interestingly, the gender gap in workplace AI use is smaller than in other advanced technologies, and groups such as younger workers, racialized individuals and immigrants show greater familiarity with AI tools.
🔍 The emergence of generative AI— “the English major’s revenge, as our founder Wendy Cukier has coined”—further democratizes AI skills, which require excellent language and reasoning skills.
The solution lies in bridging the divide between #innovation and adoption:
✅ Developing a competency framework for AI, underpinned by basic AI literacy skills for all sectors
✅ Supporting SMEs with targeted training and tools to help them adopt AI effectively.
✅ Empowering diverse teams to develop and implement AI responsibly.
A Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures-supported initiative, the Skills Bridge program, developed by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Magnet, is already making strides, providing SMEs with resources to navigate AI adoption while creating employment pathways. However, much more must be done to address barriers and ensure equity in access to AI's transformative potential.
Canada’s paradox—excelling in AI research but struggling with adoption—is a call to action. By working together, policymakers, industry leaders, educators and businesses can unlock the potential of AI to drive innovation while managing its risks.
💡 Ready to dive deeper? Explore our latest strategies for bridging Canada's AI adoption gap in the full article from Dr. Wendy Cukier: https://bit.ly/4gwvzfp#AI#Innovation#FutureOfWork#FutureSkills#DigitalTransformation#CanadaLeadership
We have partnered with the Diversity Institute, Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures and a network of municipalities to collect equity, diversity, inclusion and reconciliation (EDIR) frameworks and best practices from across Canada.
As diversity within the Canadian population grows, many municipal governments strive to integrate EDIR into their strategies. This initiative aims to assist municipalities of all sizes, locations and stages of development to implement effective policies and practices.
We are excited to invite municipal staff from across Canada who work in these areas to see the final stage of this project and help make the toolkit as useful and inclusive as possible.
Register for next week's webinar to share your input:
📆 Dec. 17
🕐 1 - 2 p.m. EST
https://lnkd.in/e-7-5fYy
🎓 “We’re seeing technology transform learning at all levels,” says Dr. Wendy Cukier, our founder and academic director and academic research director of the Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures, which aims to address gaps in digital skills, especially among Canada’s diverse populations.
Canada is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence (#AI) into #education, reshaping how and where we learn. From personalized, adaptive learning to immersive virtual classrooms, AI-driven edtech unlocks new opportunities for learners of all ages.
But with opportunity comes responsibility. Challenges like ensuring #equity in access, addressing ethical concerns and navigating the #digital divide remain critical. As policymakers, educators and innovators, we must work together to ensure no learner is left behind.
As Cukier notes, “Everyone needs basic AI literacy." One example is DI's ADaPT (Advanced Digital and Professional Training) program. It helps diverse postsecondary school graduates from varied academic backgrounds learn tech skills while providing career support. “It doesn’t focus on engineers and computer scientists, it focuses on English majors and history grads,” Cukier says.
In this latest The Globe and Mail article from Mary Gooderham, explore how #Canada is leading the charge in AI-enabled education and the issues shaping the future of learning: https://lnkd.in/gdTXu--h#AI#EdTech#Innovation#EducationTransformation
🚀 New report launch!
For many Black and racialized youth in Canada, the path to their dream careers is filled with roadblocks.
Unequal access to #technology, limited #mentorship opportunities and insufficient career guidance are just a few challenges. First-generation immigrant families may also be unfamiliar with Canada’s educational and career systems, leaving their children without the support they need to navigate post-secondary education.
To address these barriers, we collaborated with the Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures and the Peel District School Board to pilot the Future Skills & Careers (FSC) platform. This tool provides mentorship programs, digital #skills training and career exploration resources to support under-served youth.
Here’s what we learned:
▶ 70% of youth said the platform helped them understand career paths.
▶ 83.8% agreed the purpose of the platform was clear.
▶ Feedback highlighted opportunities to make the platform more interactive to engage users in self-assessment.
Are you interested in education and workforce development?
Explore insights in the full report: https://bit.ly/4fjs2jA#Diversity#Inclusion#training#youth#EDI
Yesterday, our founder and academic research director of Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures, Dr. Wendy Cukier and special advisor Tamara Thermitus, Ad. E., senior fellow, McGill Faculty of Law participated in the Delegation of the European Union to Canada roundtable to mark #HumanRightsDay.
🔑 Key takeaways and insights:
➡️ We are doing better than some countries in some areas but have a long way to go in others. Dr. Anoush F. Terjanian (elle/she/ան), a fellow at the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa, who moderated the session, noted that we have fallen in the global rankings on gender equity. Josie Nepinak, president of Native Women's Association of Canada, stressed that we have failed to meet our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation. Myrlande Pierre, vice president, Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, and Niha Shahzad, senior director, Canadian Center For Women's Empowerment (CCFWE), emphasized the importance of bringing an intersectional lens to the discussion.
➡️ Wage gaps have narrowed but persist for women overall and are far greater for women who are Black, Indigenous, persons with disabilities or who identify as 2SLGBTQi+.
➡️ Education is a driver of social mobility, and we see many gaps narrowing. For example, Black Canadians have the same post-secondary graduation rates as others—but barriers to their employment remain.
➡️ We cannot dichotomize human rights and economic imperatives. Commitment to human rights is the foundation on which everything else rests, including achieving our economic, innovation and sustainable development goals.
➡️ We need to look in the mirror and name the problems. Disaggregated data across equity-deserving groups helps us understand disparities and set goals.
➡️ We need accountability frameworks. While raising awareness and developing strategies are important, there remain gaps in action and results. Despite 30 years of effort, there are fewer women in computer science and only slightly more in engineering today.
➡️ We must focus not just on representation and participation, but also on true inclusion, co-creation and governance: "Nothing about us without us."
➡️ There are many opportunities to work with the European Union, including research collaborations to compare data and share what works in what contexts that can be shared and replicated. Linking arms to stand firm on commitments to #HumanRights in the face of backlash and hate are key.
➡️ Targeted programs for women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized people, the 2SLGBTQi+ community and persons with disabilities are important, but we need to bring a gender and diversity lens to all our work—research, innovation, trade, responsible AI, entrepreneurship, education and culture—to create more inclusive ecosystems.
We’re proud to be part of these critical conversations in #equity and #inclusion.
#50_30Challenge#STEM#WomeninScience
🌟Congratulations Mohamed Elmi!
Mohamed is the executive director of the Diversity Institute. The Diversity Institute conducts and coordinates multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder research to address the needs of diverse Canadians, the changing nature of skills and competencies, and the policies, processes and tools that advance economic inclusion and success. There, he leads a team of more than 100 researchers and staff all working to share knowledge about racism, bias and micro-aggression that equity-deserving groups face with a social justice lens but grounded in the business case for diversity and inclusive innovation.
Mohamed’s research includes more than 100 co-authored technical research reports and papers, book chapters and refereed conference papers and other presentations. Mohamed holds a PhD in Information Systems from the University of Cape Town.
Prior to this, Mohamed completed his thesis Masters of Arts in International Development Studies at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and an Honour Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of New Brunswick. Mohamed also teaches Global Management Studies and Information Technology Management at the Ted Rogers School of Management.
Check out Mohamed's selected projects and publications:
ADaPT for Black Youth🌐 https://loom.ly/NTJS_a0
DiversityLeads🌐 https://loom.ly/L7y_Rs0
Industry Analysis and the Value of Black Music🌐 https://loom.ly/l8ri4lo
⏰ The Skills Horizon Calls for Proposals deadline is tomorrow, December 13, at 5 p.m. ET!
The Future Skills Centre - Centre des Compétences futures (FSC) has launched an open call for proposals that address Canada’s emerging labour market and skills challenges.
FSC is accepting proposals through two calls:
💡 The Skills Solutions call will fund projects focusing on solution design and preparing for potential piloting or advancing skills initiatives based on evidence of what has worked.
💡 The Skills Research call will explore key knowledge gaps or emerging challenges shaping Canada’s labour market.
🔗 Don't wait, learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/ghYdjaWn#FutureSkills#FutureOfWork
