NERC to host workforce-focused conference

The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) will host a conference April 3-4 titled “Building a Diverse Workforce.”

The online event, which takes place both afternoons beginning at 1 p.m., will focus on “bringing different perspectives to the same table to tackle complex issues,” says NERC, a Brattleboro, Vermont-based organization focused on recycling education, policy and research. The sponsor exhibits also are online.

Both days include sessions focused on cultivating inclusivity in the workplace and in hiring practices. On the second day, attendees will break out into groups to reflect on sessions, discuss challenges and successes in hiring and retention strategies, and share ideas with one another about best practices.

The agenda includes:

• a keynote address titled “Building a Diverse Workforce for Sustainable Materials Management” by Cheryl Coleman, senior vice president of the Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI);
• a session focusing on strategies for developing a lens of inclusivity in recruitment and hiring practices. Speakers will explore methods for attracting a diverse pool of applicants, such as writing bias-free job descriptions, establishing anonymity in application reviews and more.;
• a session in which speakers will discuss examples of programs that support diversity and inclusion of underrepresented individuals in the materials management industry; and
• a session focused on retention strategies, including topics such as employee resource groups, mentoring programs and managing a work-life balance.

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Registration is open until April 4. For more information about the conference, contact Mary Ann Remolador at maryann@nerc.org or 802-451-8852. For questions about registration, contact Robert Kropp at robert@nerc.org or 802-254-3636.