(Butler, PA) Butler County Community College opens its 2022 series of catered Lunch & Learn professional skills workshops in downtown Butler on Wednesday by assisting business representatives seeking diversity, equity and inclusion strategies for their workplaces, a BC3 administrator said.
“It’s definitely been an attractive subject and something that people want to learn more about,” said Kelly McKissick, coordinator of professional education and certificate programs in BC3’s Workforce Development division.
Elizabeth Short, executive director of YWCA Butler, will discuss “Power & Privilege” during a Lunch & Learn workshop Wednesday and “Intent vs. Impact” on April 20.
“Power & Privilege” and “Intent vs. Impact” represent BC3’s fourth and fifth Lunch & Learn workshops since 2021 to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
“When we talked about the reason why people attended, we didn’t all have the same answers, but the desire for information, learning and understanding was there.”
Elizabeth Short, executive director of YWCA Butler, Lunch & Learn presenter
They follow BC3 Lunch & Learn workshops about “Benefits of Diverse and Inclusive Workplaces” in May, “Recognizing and Addressing Unconscious Bias” in June and “Inclusive Conversations” in November.
“This particular training with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion is something that people are very interested in,” Short said. “When we talked about the reason why people attended, we didn’t all have the same answers, but the desire for information, learning and understanding was there.”
“Power & Privilege” is “about understanding each of our own identities and how those identities affect the environment we move through and our interactions with one another,” Short said.
BC3’s Lunch & Learn workshops will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and cost $15 per person per workshop. Information about registration is available at bc3.edu/lunch-learn.
“Power & Privilege” will be held at the Holly Pointe Building, 220 S. Main St. A light lunch will be provided by Butler Brew Works.
“Intent vs. Impact” will be held at YWCA Butler, 120 W. Cunningham St. A light lunch will be provided by Sons of Italy Lodge 1664.
“Intent vs. Impact,” Short said, is about the “platinum rule. We are all familiar with the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The platinum rule is ‘Do unto others as they would want to be done to themselves.’”
The college’s Workforce Development division launched the Lunch & Learn series in October 2018. The series represents the implementation of an objective in the college’s 2017-2022 strategic plan in that workshops are intended to build relationships to advance economic development and quality of life in the community.
Lunch & Learn workshops also represent the first open programming in downtown Butler by BC3’s Workforce Development division and are held in partnership with the Butler County Chamber of Commerce.