L.B. Foster Talent Management Participates in Penn State Diversity Dialogues
- Sep 29, 2020
- Corporate
In early September, Nicole Wilson, Manager, Talent Development, and James Swanson, Talent Management Specialist, attended a virtual “Diversity Dialogues” workshop hosted by Penn State.
The interactive discussion event featured breakout sessions that covered topics on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The breakout groups consisted of a mix of employers and students, totaling 8-10 people each. Within each group, there was open discussion on three scenarios. The topics examined important themes about diversity in the workplace including disabilities, gender identity and transitioning, and race.
Employers were encouraged to provide reaction and insight from each scenario while also posing questions to students to help facilitate the discussions. Students were encouraged to talk openly about each scenario and explain how they thought each should be handled.
“In the sessions, we saw that the students are paying close attention to how companies handle diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Not only is participating in this event about having a plan to attract diverse talent, but also a plan to make sure inclusion is actively happening at L.B. Foster,” commented James Swanson.
Discussions and participation in events like these have inspired the development of new employee resource groups within the company focused on diversity and inclusion. One recent initiative is Spark - its mission is to encourage and empower the development and growth of women at L.B. Foster.
“The Spark initiative has been well-received, and our Company is eager to add more resource groups and drive further diversity and inclusion initiatives moving forward,” said Nicole Wilson.