“DIVERSITY is being invited to the party, and inclusion is being asked to dance”, is a popular industry phrase that resonates with Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) Group Chief Human Resources Officer Odeth Reynolds.

The expression goes on, “belonging is being asked for input into the playlist for the dance music and feeling free to ask anyone you want to dance with you”. This is the type of environment the nearly three-decade-old independent power-producing giant, JEP Group, has been cultivating for its 250 permanent employees and over 170 community, internship and seasonal workers.

JEP is Jamaica’s most prominent independent power provider (IPP). It commenced operations in 1995 through the ownership of its largest generating facility, Doctor Bird Power Station — a combined output of 124 megawatts (MW). In 2012, JEP broke ground on the 66MW land-based power plant, West Kingston Power Partners, which also serves as the group’s head office. In 2019, the energy pioneers acquired the Jamaica Private Power Company, the 60MW slow-speed diesel generator in East Kingston. The IPP’s latest accomplishment manifested in 2021 when the company launched its green subsidiary, Evergo, the island’s largest, most sophisticated platform for electric vehicle charging stations. Together, the quartet is known as the Jamaica Energy Partners Group.

Reynolds, the only leading lady at the company’s helm, who’s responsible for the Human Resources Department, conveyed how the group has upskilled and developed the capabilities of several employees, many of whom have been with the company since inception. Furthermore, the organisation maintains an environment where professionals thrive through implementing a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy.

“Diversity in the workplace means accepting and including employees irrespective of gender, race, religion, sexual preferences, physical differences and marital status. Diversity also exists between individuals in the roles they perform, where they are from and their socio-economic status and background,” Reynolds explained, a position in alignment with Sage Journal, which describes diversity management as “the process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities and differences of individuals are valued”.

The core of JEP Group’s DEI strategy is to create and sustain a respectful workplace that is inclusive and free from violence in alignment with the company’s code of ethics. The organisation also recently enhanced its sensitisation programmes to support the fight against gender-based violence in Jamaica.

To promote the relevance of DEI across the group of companies, JEP invests considerably in mentorship, sponsorships in support of NGOs and community-based organisations, leadership development, flexible work arrangements, competitive compensation packages and training programmes that prioritise gender equality.

A notable aspect of the strategy is how JEP remains steadfast in elevating women in under-represented areas across the facilities. Between 2021 and 2022, the IPP has hired and promoted five women, specifically a chemist and environmentalist, mechanical technician, maintenance planner, junior systems administrator and technical services manager for Evergo.

The company also promoted men in the capacity of maintenance manager, mechanical supervisor and service engineer.

According to the International Energy Agency, “despite making up 39 per cent of the global labour force, women only account for 16 per cent of the traditional energy sector. For management levels, the numbers are even lower”.

Locally, in an industry considered male-dominated, JEP’s data shows that the group is progressing positively. Out of the seven promotions during this period, four are women.

“With the company’s investment in education, we should see more women entering the industry at all levels,” Reynolds declared.

When asked about the benefits of DEI in the workplace and some of the challenges experienced, she added, “Our diversity strategy has created an environment that boosts innovation and creativity, provides a better understanding of our internal customer’s needs, widened the talent pool, and reduced negative emotions and prejudices. However, a limitation is, while wheelchair-accessible facilities and special parking for the disabled exist at our head office, due to the infrastructure and nature of operations of the plants, it is challenging to have individuals with disabilities working at the facilities.”

Diversity is not only necessary at the JEP Group but contributes to better work culture.

“A diversity strategy is imperative as it creates new perspectives, better employee performance/relations and establishes the path for moving from design to implementation. Strategy creates the foundation for company cultures and practices,” she continued.

The tools used to measure its success are equally important and crucial to the company’s DEI strategy. The company benchmarks and measures the success of its diversity strategy through its contributions to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Some critical achievements under these goals include, in addition to the over 400 permanent and seasonal workers the company employs, JEP’s unskilled work programme that provides jobs for neighbouring community members valued at over US$1.5 million within the last five years.

Permanent employees receive a robust health and pension plan with counselling services when required. In addition, the company provides quality education through training and apprenticeship programmes. In addition to the DEI policy, JEP promotes gender equality and has an active anti-harassment/anti-sexual harassment policy.

Through scholarships and internships, the organisation has hired and trained employees, some from communities surrounding the facilities, who have become leaders and continue to climb the corporate ladder.

The group also achieved 1,100 training hours in 2021, prioritising gender equality, gender-based violence, DEI, and sexual harassment for all levels of staff.

“I see women being a strong force in the clean energy transition,” Reynolds said. “However, having more females doesn’t necessarily contribute to more innovation. Instead, it is having a more diverse workforce, where getting different views from different backgrounds drives innovation and provides greater accessibility for everyone.”

When asked how she envisions diversity in the company over the next five years, she stated that she sees technology as an enabler.

“We embrace technology to accommodate everyone, especially persons with disabilities. Even though we don’t have persons with challenges, we support the entities, particularly the Jamaica Society for the Blind and Jamaica Association for the Deaf, that provide social services and advocate for these groups,” she said.