The Affirmative Employment Program (AEP) strives to achieve diversity in the workplace through outreach, recruitment, retention, and advancement of all persons. The term "diversity" is used broadly to refer to many demographic variables, including, but not limited to: age, color, disability, education, geographic origin, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and skill characteristics.

The AEP requires managers and supervisors to develop strategies to effectively recruit, employ, and promote qualified members of target groups with lower-than-expected participation rates compared to their benchmark rates. It also requires managers to identify and remove barriers that impede employment and advancement opportunities for minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.

The Affirmative Employment Program Manager (AEPM) monitors operations that affect equal employment opportunity (EEO) at BSEE, with the goal of identifying EEO barriers and collaborating with the appropriate parties needed to develop effective solutions to eliminate those barriers.

The objectives of the Affirmative Employment Programs are to:

• Eliminate the existence of workforce imbalances of minorities, women, and persons with targeted disabilities within the workforce.
• Ensure minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities have equal opportunity in all personnel processes, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, training, and awards.