Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Our Commitment to Spokane County's Workforce
The Spokane Workforce Council and its governing board are committed to closing wage, employment, and education equity gaps. We acknowledge and accept that we have been a part of the ecosystem that has created racial inequities, and we commit to being a larger force to evolve the system and serve as a catalyst for positive change. The SWC has embraced the need to take on the difficult conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within the context of workforce development. By engaging with our customer base and business community, we acknowledge our past missteps and are taking action to be more inclusive to our diverse customers. The board has agreed that racism and privilege are systemic issues that must be addressed at a cultural and organization level. It has become increasingly clear that this work is not only a moral imperative, but there is individual, societal, and economic good that flows from closing equity gaps.
We acknowledge that this work is never done. In order to reach our goals, we will normalize conversations about systemic racism and all inequities, foster equitable workplace culture for our business and system partners, and support our partners with education and resources. We will continue to use assessments and other tools to embed the work in our system. Success will be measured through a variety of community-based metrics that demonstrate progress and achievement of outcomes. Equitable practices will create a more diverse set of customers whose feedback will inform our service delivery and lead to better community outcomes.
Our community will be strengthened when all members have a meaningful voice and increased access and will be elevated by creating a culture of hope and prosperity for all people.
We want to thank, recognize, and honor our partnership with Kurtis Robinson and Michaela Brown of Greater Spokane Progress for guiding our agency to establish our commitments and develop our Equity Statement.
-Spokane Workforce Council Board & Staff
Learn more about our equity statement journey in this report provided by Greater Spokane Progress.