Home Green Design New CEU From Tarkett Explores Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

New CEU From Tarkett Explores Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

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SOLON, OHIO—With its newest CEU, “Making Our Circle Bigger,” Tarkett, a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring, aims to create dialogue among the architecture and design industry on the issue of equity, diversity and inclusion and how to incorporate these principles into the spaces they design, and the teams they lead.

In addition to creating a deeper understanding of the terms “diversity,” “equity” and “inclusion,” the one-hour course explores statistics regarding minorities in the industry, outlines the business case for creating more inclusive teams; and provides personal and project profiles of A&D firms that have achieved success in these areas.

“As design professionals, we often forget that the people we have in the room have a profound and direct impact on our project outcomes and the relationships we have with clients,” said Libby Gillen, Vice President of Strategy, A&D for Tarkett North America. “The only way we can move forward is to have open and real conversation, and it is our hope that this course will help facilitate greater dialogue and adoption of these ideals.”

The latest report from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) shows that the industry is making progress. For example, nearly two in five architects are now women, and the proportion of individuals completing the architectural experience program (AXP) who identify as non-white or Hispanic has reached a record high at 34 percent.

Very Few Architects are Black Women

However, other figures show significant room for growth. The NCARB report reveals that fewer than one in five new architects identifies as a racial or ethnic minority, only 0.4 percent of architects are Black women and less than 1 percent of certified architects are Hispanic, even though this growing population makes up 16 percent of the American workforce.

“When our A&D firms aren’t representative of the communities we serve, we’ll struggle to truly understand what our clients need,” Gillen said.

Going beyond race and ethnicity, the course discusses a holistic view of diversity to include age, ability, religion, motherhood and country of origin. It also includes an exploration of neurodiversity, which refers to variations in the human brain regarding sociability, learning, attention, mood, and other mental functions—all of which can have a significant impact on how one might interact with their physical surroundings.

“Making Our Circle Bigger” is available by appointment, either in-person or virtually. Participants are eligible for 1.00 learning unit through AIA, or 0.1 credit through IDCEC. To schedule a course for your firm, contact your Tarkett sales representative or go to https://www.ceuevents.com/tarkett.

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