Introducing the IWSCC
Spring has sprung! Canadians from coast to coast are cleaning out their closets. As April showers wash away the snow and sleet, make way for May flowers and new possibilities!
With all this talk of “out with the old and in with the new,” we felt like this is a great time to re-introduce ourselves. Hello, we’re the IWSCC!
Who is the IWSCC?
The Inclusive Workplace and Supply Council of Canada (IWSCC) is Canada’s certifying body for businesses owned by people with disabilities and by Veterans (and often these two communities intersect). We work with B2B (business-to-business) companies that are 51% or more owned, operated, and controlled by folks from these communities, and register them as Certified Suppliers.
We want to see every Canadian organization working together with disabled and Veteran-owned businesses, and we want to do it by freeing Canadian business from stigma, and by fostering community.
What does the IWSCC do?
Our goal is to elevate these businesses and involve them more in Canadian supply chains, and we have 3 main ways that we do it:
- We Learn: We conduct community-informed research together with our Partner Organizations on the successes and struggles, the barriers and the boasts of Veteran and disabled-owned businesses in Canada to offer the best help we can.
- We Educate: We take the lessons from our research and we share them through business development programs, seminars, workshops, and even a community podcast!
- We Build Community: We connect the businesses we support with large organizations (our Corporate Members) that want to work with them. We collaborate with our Partner Organizations to provide more opportunities. We connect Certified Suppliers together into a too-big-to-ignore community!
Why does the IWSCC do what they do?
Because we connect businesses owned by people from underrepresented groups (Veterans and people with disabilities) with larger companies, the IWSCC is a Supplier Diversity organization. With its roots in the American Civil Rights Movement, Supplier Diversity is all about providing equal access to business opportunities for businesses owned by disabled, Veterans, women, visible minorities, indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ+ persons.
Supplier Diversity is alive in Canada, but unfortunately Veterans and disabled business owners are the least included groups. Companies know that Supplier Diversity provides a positive impact on their community, their workplaces, and on their brand, too! It can be difficult for a company to know how to get started with Supplier Diversity or to find the staff or the time to do it right, and that’s where we come in. Through certification, the IWSCC connects buyers with suppliers they can be confident in, and eases the workload at the same time. That means more opportunity for everyone!
How can I get involved?
This year the IWSCC is bigger than ever! Since 2021, corporate membership grew by over 170%, and our community of Certified Suppliers more than tripled! There’s nowhere to go but up. If you or someone you know wants to get involved, we want to hear from you. Join the IWSCC and elevate Veteran and disabled-owned businesses across Canada with us!
