My Department has had no standalone training in Anti-Racism or Unconscious Bias for the years specified, however, these topics are addressed via a range of mediums available to all officials in my Department.
As outlined in my Department’s People Strategy launched in November 2021, the Department is wholly committed to building a supportive and inclusive workplace.
Since that time, the Department’s Learning and Career Development Unit has facilitated several training sessions and webinars with organisations such as Irish Centre for Diversity, AsIAm, ADHD Ireland, and Employers for Change amongst others. While attendance at same is optional, it is highly encouraged and promoted to all staff members regularly.
At present and on an ongoing basis, there are also several training sessions available on the Civil Service-wide OneLearning platform which is always accessible to staff members. Current offerings include:
• Equality and Human Rights: Understanding your Role
• Managing for an Inclusive Workforce
• Equality and Human Rights in the Public Service
Further, equality awareness and unconscious bias is addressed as part of Interviewer Skills training which is provided to staff in advance of their participation as interviewers on competition boards.
My Department’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement published in 2022 set out how we would ensure our statutory equality duties are met. However, our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, finalised this week, takes the next step in setting out how we plan to go beyond those duties and become a more inclusive workplace. As part of the development of this Strategy, all members of our Management Board and all members of our ED&I Strategy Working Group undertook ‘Inclusive Leadership’ training with the Irish Centre for Diversity. Actions under our ED&I Strategy include bringing inclusive leadership and inclusive management training to all managers in our Department through OneLearning, and a commitment to continue our offering of ED&I related training and information sessions throughout the Strategy’s lifetime.
