Through ScotiaRISE, Bank renews commitment to
TalentLift Canada—a not-for-profit rooted in allyship
TORONTO, Jan. 26,
2023 /CNW/ - Recognizing a continued commitment to
allyship, earlier this week, Scotiabank hosted a second annual
allyship event for its 90,000 employees across the Bank's
footprint. In celebration of the event entitled Allyship in
Action, Scotiabank also renewed its partnership with TalentLift
Canada, an organization dedicated to supporting refugees relocate
for work to companies and communities in need of their talent.
"Scotiabank's vision is to be the employer of choice for diverse
talent, providing employees with an environment where everyone can
thrive and bring their whole selves to work," said Scott Thomson, Scotiabank President &
Incoming CEO. "Allyship is about how our individual actions, when
taken together, can drive a meaningful impact across our footprint.
I'm proud of our efforts to create a more diverse, equitable and
inclusive bank for our customers, the communities we serve, and
each other, 365 days a year."
In 2020, Scotiabank renewed its Diversity and Inclusion Goals
with a commitment to increase the diverse makeup of its employee
population over the next five years, with a focus on people who
identify as Black, Indigenous Peoples, People with Disabilities,
Visible Minorities, and Women. Last year, Scotiabank
introduced a new goal to increase representation in Canada of employees who identify as LGBT+.
Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl
Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU
School of Law and Director of its Meltzer Center for
Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, delivered the keynote address
that focused on how to put allyship into action and foster a
diverse, equitable and inclusive environment 365 days a year.
"As human beings we all have certain advantages that we can
leverage to support others who don't have those same advantages,"
said Yoshino. "At an organizational level, it's critical to
understand that real, substantial cultural change is not going to
happen without allyship."
The keynote was followed by insightful conversations with
Scotiabank leaders and employees highlighting tangible action taken
over the past year across the Bank's business lines to progress a
culture of inclusion, including Scotiabank's
StartRight Program that launched in 2008 supporting
newcomers to Canada with the next
chapter in their lives.
January also marks the second-year anniversary of
ScotiaRISE, Scotiabank's 10-year, $500 million initiative to promote economic
resilience among disadvantaged groups. Since launching, the program
has invested over $60 million with
over 200 community organizations who are improving high school
graduation rates, helping newcomers feel at home faster, and
removing barriers to career advancement.
Dana Wagner, Co-Founder and
Managing Director, TalentLift Canada was featured at the event and
discussed the importance of allyship and supporting displaced
talent worldwide. Through ScotiaRISE, the Bank will invest
$950,000, over three years, in
support of scaling the organization's talent platform to connect
skilled refugees with employers in Canada.
"Globally, there are more than 27 million people living as
refugees, and there are far too few options for them to get to a
country like Canada where they
have a secure future," said Wagner. "We are grateful to Scotiabank
for advancing our work to solve for both skill shortages in
Canada and displacement worldwide.
Our organization is one step closer to our dream of creating a
world where talented people living as refugees can compete for
global jobs, and where access depends on potential and not the
privilege of living without fear."
For more information on Scotiabank's commitment to diversity and
inclusion,
visit: https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/about/our-company/diversity-and-inclusion.html
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our
purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families
and their communities achieve success through a broad range of
advice, products and services, including personal and commercial
banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and
investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000
employees and assets of over $1.3
trillion (as at October 31,
2022), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:
BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information,
please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter
@Scotiabank.
SOURCE Scotiabank