News release

Nova Scotia Government Continues to Increase Diversity Efforts

Public Service Commission

The provincial public service is becoming a more diverse workplace.

Today, Dec. 13, Minister of Human Resources Carolyn Bolivar-Getson tabled the province's 2006-2007 annual progress report, Moving Toward Equity, Affirmative Action and Diversity in the Nova Scotia Public Service.

"Striving to become a diverse workforce, reflective of our population, is a critical part of providing effective public services to Nova Scotians," said Ms. Bolivar-Getson. "Because of that, we want to ensure the public service workplace is free of discrimination, where diversity is valued in all of its forms, and where people respect and embrace difference."

Over the past few years, the Public Service Commission has led efforts to establish a number of employment, training and awareness initiatives throughout government to help improve the workplace culture and diversity representation.

The progress report outlines corporate and departmental activities during the 2006-2007 fiscal year, including:

  • a provincial government agency, Communications Nova Scotia, became the first government entity to be recognized by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission as a diversity champion in the workplace;

  • the Diversity Talent Pool helps to increase representation of designated groups in the public service through short-term, casual job placements. This year, 49 positions were filled through the talent pool, an increase of 40 per cent from 2005-2006;

  • the Diversity Accommodation Fund helps departments attract and retain employees with disabilities by ensuring work-related barriers are removed. Use of the fund increased 50 per cent this year to $45,000;

  • 11 departments participated in the Summer Diversity Program, hiring 14 students; and

  • 163 public servants participated in the Diversity and Employment Equity training course through the corporate training calendar.

The provincial public service identifies four designated groups in its Affirmative Action Policy: Aboriginal people, African Nova Scotians and other racially visible people, people with disabilities, and women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented.

Government measures its workforce representation among the first three designated groups through a voluntary workforce self-identification survey, which all employees are encouraged to complete. As of March 31, 7.8 per cent of public servants self-identified as being a member of a designated group. This compares to 7.2 per cent in government's first progress report (2004-05).

The population among Nova Scotians who are members of the these designated groups, and in the labour force, is estimated at 11.7 per cent, according to 2001 Canadian Census data.

The Public Service Commission also reports on women's representation in management and professional positions, which was 49 per cent, as of March 31. As well, women hold about 42 per cent of top-level management positions.