Vancouver City Savings Credit Union is supporting diverse talent through an initiative that reduces systemic barriers in hiring and advancement and strengthens pathways into leadership for Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving employees.
“Vancity created an initiative to address a critical business need: ensuring our talent pool reflects the diversity of the communities and members we serve,” says Ayesha Howitt, the employer’s vice-president of talent, equity and people. “Workforce representation, leadership succession and equitable access to opportunity are directly linked to innovation, decision-making quality and long-term organizational performance.”
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According to a 2025 report by Statistics Canada, Black Canadians represent about 5.4 per cent of Canada’s labour force — roughly 1.2 million people — yet their employment rate remains lower and their unemployment rate higher than the national average.
Howitt says Vancity’s program is both a talent strategy and an equity strategy, designed to build a more inclusive, skilled and representative workforce over time. It operates under the British Columbia Human Rights Code and received formal approval under the province’s Special Programs provisions. Since 2020, the percentage of Vancity’s workforce identifying as Black or a person of colour has increased from 37 per cent to 47 per cent.
However, she acknowledges leadership diversity hasn’t advanced at the same pace. Nationally, Black workers remain underrepresented in senior management roles relative to their overall labour force participation, according to Statistics Canada’s 2023 analysis of 2021 census data. “Leadership diversity is critical to equitable decision-making, culture and succession planning. It’s an area we’re continuing to focus on.”
The organization maintains an ongoing voluntary self-identification process and reviews diversity trends at the executive level, monitoring hiring, retention and advancement patterns. The program’s progress is reported annually in audited accountability statements.
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Board-level accountability is reinforced through external commitments. In 2020, Vancity signed a pledge, committing to reach 3.5 per cent Black representation at the senior management level and direct at least three per cent of grants toward economic opportunities in Black communities. In 2023, 3.9 per cent of community investments supported Black communities; in 2024, that figure was 2.8 per cent following budget constraints. In 2025, the organization renewed its commitment for another five years.
From a total rewards perspective, Howitt says Vancity pairs fair compensation with targeted development opportunities, including inclusive hiring training, anti-Black racism workshops, co-op placements and an upcoming rotational leadership program.
For employers looking to move beyond performative diversity efforts, she says equity must be systemically embedded.
“Advancing equity requires integrating it into governance, leadership accountability, talent processes, measurement and culture. Sustainable change comes from consistency and structural alignment, not one-time actions.”
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