With the recent ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, this study seeks to address an under-researched area—the lived experience of workplace training participation (WTP)/non-participation of Black administrative employees at Canadian universities. While research in academia has focused on faculty and students, there is a lack of research on administrative employee participation within university settings in Canada. This gap is especially significant as this group composes a significant ratio of the entire workforce in Canadian universities. It is also important to understand the implications of WTP/non-participation for employees who identify as Black. This study used Stephen Billett’s conceptualization of affordance and access as a starting point to identify gaps in the workplace training (WT) literature, specifically as it pertains to Black employees. Data was collected from 26 Black administrative employees who discussed their lived experience with WTP in these settings. A qualitative approach from a phenomenological perspective was used to better understand the participants’ lived experiences with WTP. The results revealed a lack of transparency in the WT approval process, experiences of time pressure, managers’ discretion and racism as factors that influence WTP.
Shurla Charles-Forbes (Mon,) studied this question.