FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 20, 2008

City launches new diversity/harassment training initiative

The City of Kansas City, Mo., Human Resources Department and a panel of City staff have selected two companies to conduct a comprehensive training initiative on diversity and anti-discrimination/harassment in the workplace.

The selection panel, which included department directors and senior managers from the City, selected Kansas City-based ECCO Select to conduct the diversity training and Centennial, Colo.-based Anderson-Davis Inc., to perform the discrimination/harassment training.

“I appreciate the hard work of the selection committee and was pleased that the group reached a clear consensus on the vendor selection,” said City Manager Wayne A. Cauthen. “The organizations will work with our Human Resources Department to develop a highly-effective training program that will help City employees deal with these critical issues.”

Training session curriculum development will begin in March. As part of the project development, the Human Resources Department will conduct a preliminary cultural audit/survey to determine training design methods.

The classes will serve the City’s 3,800 employees and will include a Web-based e-learning tool to train new employees who are hired after the initial classroom training and as a refresher tool for existing employees.

For more information on the training initiative, contact the Human Resources Department at (816) 513-1947.