ILLUMINATING CAREERS

Prepared for
The Dallas Chamber of Commerce

Prepared by
Christian Kelly
Cindy Cabrera
Kellen Cunningham
Zain Ahmad

December 1st, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Problem..........................................................................................................................................1
Background.....................................................................................................................................1
Purpose...........................................................................................................................................2
Proposed Plan.................................................................................................................................3
Community Partnerships................................................................................................................4
Staffing...........................................................................................................................................5
Schedule.........................................................................................................................................6
Budget............................................................................................................................................6
Authorization.................................................................................................................................8
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.........................................................................................................................................2
Figure 2.........................................................................................................................................6
Figure 3.........................................................................................................................................7

PROBLEM

This proposal was designed to combat the population that resides below the $30,000 income level.
Specifically our proposal aims to:
Help elevate those with an insufficient income to a level where they can better look after
themselves and their families.
Provide much needed expertise and experience to less qualified individuals so that they can find
better jobs.
Assist in the process of gaining certifications in the field of electrical work.

BACKGROUND
Since the establishment of General Electric in 1892 we have been devoted to advancing the realm of
electronics with new innovations (GE History). Our goal has always been to make a difference in the
world with our life-changing innovations and our community service. What better way to serve our
community than to assist in areas that we know the best? It is our duty to educate the community on
technological innovations.
Our Dallas division of General Electric has been devoted to addressing the problems in our community
since its inception. The main issue that we try to address is that of unemployment and poverty. To
combat this issue we set up workshops and certification programs that work with those that are
unemployed or unskilled to give them the skills needed to get better jobs. In the spring of 2014, we set
up a program to we set up unemployment workshops. These workshops helped those searching for jobs
in the electric field to learn how to find jobs, distinguish their own skill set, and learn how to properly
and effectively apply for these jobs. These workshops gave the people the one-on-one traingw to
properly and effectively apply for these jobs. These workshops gave the people the one-on-one training
they needed to be successful in the workforce.
With the skills and experience we have perfected over the past century our mission is to help families
elevate themselves in their community. We think that the best way to do this is not to just give charity.
A famous proverb states, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed
him for a lifetime. We like to abide by this proverb. We think it is more important to teach skills to our
community rather than just temporarily provide for them. The skillset we teach them will last them a
lifetime.
As a company focused on moving forward, it is important that we move forward as a community and
not leave anyone behind.

PURPOSE

Figure 1. Household income distribution for Dallas, Texas.

Source: Dallas County, Texas (TX). (2013). Retrieved October 5, 2015.
Figure 1 shows just how great the difference is between the number of high-income households and the
number of low-income households in Dallas, TX. To the left of the $30,000 line there are significantly
more households than from $30,000 to $200,000+.
In order to close the gap between the rich and the poor, we are targeting those with a salary less than
$30,000. Our extensive training and apprenticeship programs will be designed to thoroughly prepare
individuals to become electricians and establish their own businesses, become employed with other
electricians, or even work for us. Our program, Illuminating Careers, will make the men and women in
the program independent and confident. Although everyone who is in the low-income category will not
necessarily want to take part in this program, a lot of them will realize how great of an opportunity this
is after the first round of students go through it and that will lead them to take part in our program.
By providing those who live in lower income households with electrician certifications and opportunities
for apprenticeships, we hope to spark a change. We hope to encourage and promote community
development. Our vision is to instill values of oneness and unity within the neighborhoods of our home:
Dallas, Texas.

Proposed plan

Many of the low income families in the Dallas area are lacking in essential education and skills needed
to succeed in this ever progressing era. Having a high school diploma is not sufficient in order to attain a
well-paying job. Unfortunately, many of the residents of the low income areas in Dallas cannot afford
better education even if they desired to (Poverty rates in Dallas, City Data 2013). Due to this need, GE
has decided to help aid the community of Dallas with hopes of addressing the need and desire for better
education and more job opportunities.
Continuing with our tradition of community initiatives, GE will help provide Dallas low income citizens
the opportunity to develop and master skills needed for electrician jobs. The company will help provide
training by hosting classes that are run by our highly trained experts. After completing the required
number of hours and classes, shadowing opportunities will be provided. These classes will help teach
citizens the required skills needed to become a certified electrician which will open doors of
opportunities for them. We will partner with local businesses to give our apprentices the unique
experience and insight that can only be attained through the shadowing. This will help enrolled
members see firsthand the daily, real life events that happen on the job, allowing them to become
acquainted with future expectations. With the funding provided by the Dallas Chamber, GE will acquire
tools and equipment needed to execute the classes as well as to donate electrician equipment to the
participants who finish the program.
The classes will also teach participants about the different methods used by GE to provide electricity
that is cost efficient, good for the community and environmentally friendly. In doing so, GE will help
bring up a generation of workers that will be well trained in identifying problems within the electrician
job field that contribute to the harming of the environment and community. They will not only be able
to identify problems but will also be able to come up with solutions that will efficiently provide the
service needed without harming the environment. Along with the classes and shadowing opportunities,
members will be notified of job openings available throughout the Dallas area. Many residents may not
have a job because they are not aware of openings. Due to our partnerships, we will have more in depth
access to data bases that will more efficiently search job openings. The following is a graph that
represents the percentage of population in the Dallas area that falls below the poverty level as of 2013.

Figure 2. Poverty rates in Dallas, City Data. 2013

Within the population of low income residents the targeted areas will be narrowed down to 3 locations
in Dallas with the greatest need as represented in the figure 3. Zip code areas in desperate need include
75212, 75215, and 75217. These zip codes have a population that falls from a range of 63.2% to 86.5%
below the poverty line. Household income falls as low as $14,696 to $21,923. The male population in
these areas range from 43% to 48% with an average age of 22-28 (Poverty Rates in Dallas, City Data.
2013), which provides us with a good number of individuals who would be great candidates for our

proposed program. Even though the program is open to anyone, we understand our initiative will attract
more males due to the nature of the industry.

Figure 3. Data: Residents with income below the poverty level (%). City-Data. 2013
We are certain that there are talented individuals in these communities that may have the next groundbreaking discovery or idea but lack the resources to develop and expand their minds. GEs goal is not
just to give them a certificate and job, but to provide the essential resources and skills needed for
individuals in these communities to break out of the poverty standards and become world leaders in the
electrical industry.

Community Partnerships
GE voluntarily participates in the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Project which is an initiative
focused on waste reduction and saving environmental resources, while reducing emissions (Our
Initiatives. GE. 2015). With this, our goal is to teach residents about the different ways in which they can
participate and contribute to emission and waste reductions in their job facilities and homes. EPA would
help in organizing community events and seminars to help raise this awareness among the residents in
these communities.
We will also partner with TDLR (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation) to help provide
participants with licensing and certifications in the different fields of the electrical industry available
around Dallas. For specialized electrician skills that we cannot teach, TDLR will host different seminars
and classes to provide community residents with the tools they need to get certified and licensed
(Electrician Licensing. TDLR. 2015).

To take this program a step further, a partnership with ITT Technical Institute will be established to help
provide scholarships and grants to any low income or unemployed resident of the earlier stated zip
codes with the opportunity to further themselves with an education in the field of electronic technology.
The best way to eliminate and reduce the amount of poverty or unemployment in a community is to
address it from its roots, providing education from the beginning. Keeping this in mind, high school
students who decided to enroll in ITT Technical Institute in the fields of electronics technology will be
given the opportunity to hold summer internships at GE if they meet GPA requirements. Funding from
the Dallas Chamber will also be utilized to help fund for these internships and projects.

Staffing
General Electric already has some of the major staffing components in place for this project however,
some other staffing positions will be needed. Our team leaders are already in place and include: Kellen
Cunningham, Cindy Cabrera, Zain Ahmad, and Christian Kelly. With their varied expertise, we feel that all
facets of the project will be covered.
We will also need to hire some professionals to teach the material. These teachers will be selected by
our team leaders through an extensive interview process. The will need to be qualified and certified at a
high level to insure their competency and to insure the effectiveness of the classes. It will also be
preferable, but not necessary, for the professor applicants to have a passion for helping those less
fortunate. We will be accepting applications up to the deadline listed in the schedule section.
Other staff members will include classroom technicians, maintenance workers, and advisors for the
students. The classroom technicians will help to aid the professors in teaching the class by helping
perform demonstrations, providing extra tutorials, and giving the students a more hands-on learning
environment. The maintenance workers will help aid in the cleanliness of the facility as well as providing
technical support with the equipment needed to run the classrooms. The advisors will serve a vital role
in aiding the students with job searches as well as providing guidance in other classes the students may
want to take. The advisors will provide the students with the tools to help secure future positions in the
work field as well as answering any questions the students have for their current classes and schedule.
According to Jayne Drake, academic advising helps students to value the learning process, to apply
decision-making strategies, to put the college experience into perspective, to set priorities and evaluate
events, to develop thinking and learning skills, to make choices, and to value the learning process.
(Drake, 2011, p. 10) With this in mind, the academic advisors involved in this project will bear a crucial
role in sculpting the futures of these students by providing support in all stages of the learning process.
The last position needed is a liaison to help the students find shadowing positions. This person will be
selected by the team leaders. This person will be responsible for opening channels for students to find
shadowing positions. We believe that shadowing will provide the students with the necessary hands-on
experience that they will need to be successful in their new profession. Shadowing is very important

because it is where the students will gain their hands-on experience doing much of the learning required
to have success on their field. In a current study, it has been said that, a cognitive apprenticeship starts
with deliberate instruction by someone who acts as a model; it then proceeds to model-guided trials by
practitioners who progressively assume more responsibility for their learning. (Hunter, Laursen, &
Seymour, 2016, p. 38)

Schedule
The following tentative schedule has been prepared for the Spring 2016 semester:
Applications due for professors
November 20
Professors selection process
November 20-30
Professors selected
December 1
Student applications due for Spring 2016
December 17
Applicant selection process
December 18-31
Applicants selected
January 1
Students meet with advisors to select classes
January 1-8
Student enrollment period
January 1-14
First day of classes
January 18
Students begin shadowing
February 17
Last day of shadowing and class
June 8
Figure 2. Tentative schedule for Spring 2016 semester.
This is a tentative schedule outline that can be changed at any time if necessary. Also, this schedule
could be used for future semester with just slight changes to the dates that will comply with the same
timetable.

Budget
Many factors have to be considered for the budget of this proposal. The venue of where the classes
would take place, as well as the expenses incurred from various tools that will be used in the hands on
presentations during classes. Fortunately, these specific costs were waived due to the gracious nature of
General Electric, and their philanthropic actions. The expenses that will not be waived by General
Electric are the expenses of the external electricians who will act as teachers during the instruction
period, and the shadowing electricians. Another cost adding on to the project's bottom line is the cost of
paying the students similar to a paid internship program. There were very logical and thought out
strategies on how much each expense should arise to, and why the costs were at that specific price.
Knowing outside electricians would not be so enticed in training future competition we had to think of
ways to entice the external professionals into joining our program for the betterment of our community.

We decided to compensate them monetarily, using the average salary mean of U.S. electricians which
was $53,360 and used a breakdown from this metric shown below(U.S. News & World Report):

Pay instructors $18.34 (Average salary of U.S electricians)

Pay professionals in shadow program $9.17 because they aren't being taken away from their
regular job
Block schedule to ensure the instructors can still stay in touch with customers from regular job
Students paid 7.25/hr (Minimum Wage) since we know they cannot afford an unpaid
internship(U.S. News & World Report)

We know that some applicants may make more than this now, but we pushed the idea that this is an
investment in oneself. It is possible that they can eventually double the current $10/hr since the average
electrician makes almost $20/hr.
The figures below represent the cost breakdown of the project, and illustrate the bottom line total of
$77,629.50.

Figure 3. Cost breakdown for the whole project.

Authorization

General Electric's 2014 quarter earnings were around $16.7 billion, and a company typically donates
around .5-1% of their earnings to charities or charitable projects (GE 2014 Annual Report). So with this in
mind, we definitely can fund the project, but we are proposing that the Dallas Chamber of Commerce
help with the funding of projecting our efforts on continuing this campaign and better marketing it
towards our specific audience. Again, we only have funding for one semester, so with the Chamber's
monetary efforts we can ensure this project is well-campaigned in order to make sure this project is
successful and stays for years to come. Our vision is for other companies to see how we specified in our
niche of Electricity Appliances and put our resources together for a charitable cause hoping they follow
in our footsteps and to put their resources towards a good cause as well.

REFERENCES

Dallas County, Texas (TX). (2013). Retrieved October 5, 2015.

Dallas, Texas (TX) Poverty Rate Data Information about poor and low income residents. (2013).
Retrieved October 5, 2015.
Drake, J. K. (2011). The Role of Academic Advising in Student Retention and Persistence. Retrieved
October 4, 2015
Electrician Licensing. (2015, October 1). Retrieved October 15, 2015.
Electrician: Salary. (n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2015.
GE 2014 Annual Report. (n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2015, from
http://www.ge.com/ar2014/assets/pdf/GE_AR14.pdf
GE History. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2015.
Hunter, A., Laursen, S., & Seymour, E. (2006). Becoming a Scientist: The Role of Undergraduate
Research in Students Cognitive, Personal,and Professional Development. Retrieved October 5,
2015
ITT Tech - Explore Your Possibilities. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2015.
Our Initiatives. (2015). Retrieved October 5, 2015.