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CEAT/OMP Outreach Initiatives Minosca Alcantara and David Lange Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign In collaboration with Joseph Depa, OMP January 12, 2006. OMP Outreach Program. Fostering Positive Attitudes about Engineering
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CEAT/OMP Outreach Initiatives Minosca Alcantara and David LangeDepartment of Civil and Environmental EngineeringUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign In collaboration with Joseph Depa, OMP January 12, 2006
OMP Outreach Program • Fostering Positive Attitudes about Engineering • Encouraging Under-Represented Student Groups • Transferring Technology within the Profession • Encouraging MBE/WBE Contractors
Fostering Positive Attitudes About Engineering • Pre-college/ high school students • Mc4West Project – Chicago Students interested in Engineering Majors • Bridge Building competition on June 21, 2005
CEAT Summer Interns 2005 Work with current OMP and FAA research projects Faculty and Graduate Student Mentors Encouraging Under-Represented Student Groups
FAA Outreach Project for Under-Represented Students HBCU Summer Internship Program • Summer Interns during 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 • Supports students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) at UIUC • Goal is to increase the number of under-represented minorities obtaining advanced degrees in civil engineering • 3 former interns are in graduate studies at UIUC (2 Ph.D. & 1 M.S.)
Transferring Technology within the Profession • Brown Bag Seminar Series at OMP • Workshop on Airport Pavement Instrumentation and Analysis at UIUC on May 17, 2005 • Professional Development Hours
Encouraging MBE/WBE Contractors • OMP Contractor Open House • January 12 and May 20, 2005 • OMP Diversity Committee Meeting • November 3, 2005 • Minority Contractor Capacity Evaluation • Compile information from other agencies • Matrix of MBE/DBE/WBE contractors in Chicago • Assess workload in future • Programs to Help Achieve Diversity Goals • OMP/CEAT/City of Chicago MBE/WBE/DBE Joint Committee • Construction Partnering/Protégé/Mentoring Initiative • Establishing an OMP Contractor Development/Training Center
What are the Strengths of Women Businesses in Illinois? • As of 2004, there are an estimated 459,147 privately-held, 50% or more women-owned firms in Illinois, accounting for 50.1% of all privately held firms in the state* • Women Businesses employ 917,908 people and generate nearly $112B in sales • Construction Women Businesses employ 29,210 people and generate nearly $4.3B in sales • Between 1997 and 2004, Women-Owned Firms in Illinois increased by 18.1%, employment grew by 22.9% and sales increased by 30.9% *Data extracted from: U.S. Census Bureau, 1997 Economic Census, Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises and the Center for Woman’s Business Research, Women-Owned Businesses in Illinois, 2004, Fact Sheet.
What are the Strengths of Minority Businesses in Illinois? • As of 1997, there are approx 110,340 minority privately-held firms in IL, accounting for 12.5% of all privately held firms in the state • Minority-Owned Businesses employ 191,442 people and generate $24B in annual sales • Construction Minority-Owned Businesses employ 7,854 workers and generate nearly $1.1B in annual sales • Black-Owned Firms employ 35,034 workers and generate $4B • Hispanic-Owned Firms employ 31,010 workers and generate nearly $5B • Native American Firms employ 3,945 workers and $665M
Percent of Construction Industry Minority and Women Illinois Firms and Sales
Minorities and Women Contributions to the OMP Construction needs diversity to sustain and develop growth • Provide General Contractors with a broader base to select competent suppliers and contractors • MWBEs tend to employ more minorities and women, providing an economic infusion in the diverse communities • Successful minority and women supplier and contractor development programs establish relationships, which allow the MWBEs to grow and increase their core business competencies • Incorporating diversity practices into the OMP operation will increase community building profit and market share • Diversity of ideas, talent and competency add to the competitive advantage
2006 - Programs to Help Achieve Diversity Goals • OMP/CEAT/City of Chicago MBE/WBE/DBE Joint Committee • Provide oversight, monitoring and enforcement of all EEO concerns • Construction Partnering/Mentor/Protégé Initiative • Create independent women and minority general contractors by creating partnerships between them and majority general contractors • Prepare minority companies to eventually work as a stand alone prime contractor on large projects • OMP Contractor Development/Training Center • Assist firms with creating and enhancing technical & managerial skills • Create networking opportunities
2006 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OMP/CEAT/City of Chicago MBE/WBE/DBE Joint Committee Responsibilities of the Committee: • Provide oversight, monitoring and enforcement of all EEO concerns • Be an ally to MWB/WBE/DBE firms working or desiring to work with OMP • Assist the OMP in the adoption of guidelines for the EEO program • Evaluate Contractor’s Minority Proposals to ensure minority/women targets are met • Address issues from working capital for small contractors, to pay cycle issues, DBE/WBE/MBE recruitment, to employment reporting • Promote Minority Business Participation in the OMP Program Selection of Committee Members: • 11 members appointed by OMP Executive Director • Two year terms • Key members of the Minority Community • Meet monthly to review EEO progress
OMP/CEAT/City of Chicago MBE/WBE/DBE Joint Committee Potential Committee Members: • Rosemarie Andolino, O’Hare Modernization Program • Joseph Depa, O’Hare Modernization Program • David Lange, University of Illinois • Richard Daley, City of Chicago • Perry Nakachi, Association of Asian Construction Enterprises • Florence Cox, Black Contractors United • Tracye E. Smith, Chicago Minority Business Development Council • Joan Archie, Chicago Urban League • Gloria Bell, Cosmopolitan Chamber of Commerce • Elizabeth Perino, Federation of Women Contractors • Cesar Hernandez, Hispanic American Construction Industry Association • D. Lorenzo Padron, Latin American Chamber of Commerce • Juan Ochoa, IHCC Mexican American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois • Debbie Gidley, National Association of Women Business Owners • Hedy Ratner, Women's Business Development Center
Construction Partnering/ Mentor/ Protégé Initiative Work with OMP/ City of Chicago to launch program Need to Establish: • General Policy • Incentives for Mentor Participation • Measurement of Program Success • Mentor Firms qualified to participate • Protégé firms qualified to participate • Selection of Protégé Firms • Mentor Requirements and Evaluation • Reports • Program Review • Internal Controls • Developmental Assistance • Obligation • Application and Agreement Process for Mentor Firms to participate
Contractor Development Center Small businesses need education, training, and capacity building opportunities • Provide Training seminars, courses and workshops such as: • OSHA Training, Estimating, Scheduling • How to develop spreadsheets using Excel, enhance presentations by learning Power Point, read a Financial statement • Technical/Cost Proposal Preparation • Assist minority firms to successfully bid on OMP Projects: • Access to Capital and Other Financing methodologies • Bond Packaging and Insurance • Business Planning (Business start-ups, Bank loan presentations, etc) • A semi-annual Vendor Fair for vendors to learn about OMP contract award process The OMP/CEAT will leverage existing resources from the City of Chicago and minority organizations to offer these programs