CSR Report 2019
Corporate Social Responsibility Report
for the year 2019
Engineering Design Center (EDC) is an engineering alliance between General Electric Company Polska Sp. z o.o. and Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation. As the largest engineering design center in Europe, we provide state-of-the-art solutions for the modern industry.
At EDC, we design and support manufacturing of aircraft engines and structures, gas turbines, electric motors and power generators. We also create and test on-board systems and security-critical software to the aircrafts, developing applications for fleet management and security monitoring aircraft. EDC enables the use of the intellectual potential of the best graduates from Polish universities of technology, allowing Poland to keep the most talented engineering graduates in the country.
The year 2019 was full of organizational changes, we have celebrated anniversaries and impressive successes.
On April 1st the Institute of Aviation joined the Łukasiewicz Research Network – the third largest research network in Europe. Łukasiewicz network is made up of 38 Polish research institutes from 11 cities all over Poland and employs nearly 8,000 people. The combined potential ensures the ability to implement large projects for the development of the economy and facilitates international cooperation. We also believe, that this change will help us to increase our contact network and extend the possibilities to cooperate locally.
In 2019 we celebrated 100 years of GE Aviation. The EDC community, which has been part of the Aviation family for 20 years, joined the anniversary fest as well. We have talked about our achievements, aviation history, took part in panel discussions, competitions and challenges organized on this occasion. The 100th anniversary is a source of pride, but also a great commitment to continuing traditions, high business standards, supporting the development of our employees and meeting the highest requirements of our clients.
Thanks to the fact that EDC has experienced engineering staff, the center can participate in ambitious projects such as: design and testing of the HaliadeX, new Catalyst engine, ELMS for Boeing 777x or Dowty Mobile and Web Applications. Our teams are committed to continuous improvement in search of a better way to cooperate with each other and to provide their services for business. We can say that EDC has the innovation gene in its DNA. General Electric Company Polska Sp. z o. o. completed realization of tasks within the program “TOP100 Economy Innovators”. GE Gas Power at EDC has obtained 33 patents in 2019 in areas such as aero, repair, outage, structures NPI and RDC. This is a great success not only for our business but also for our excellent engineers, who worked hard last year.
In 2019 we had continued our collaboration with the academic environment. EDC have been cooperating with Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering at Warsaw University of Technology since our first weeks of existence. Thanks to that we can hire best qualified new engineers and can constantly look for new ideas to adapt to modern business environment demands. Last year the dean of the Faculty, professor Janusz Frączek, established an advisory board, in order to plan new ways of engineer development suitable for today’s requirements. The invitation for our leaders, to join the board is a distinction and a sign of constant trust to our organization.
Every year we also extend the range of organizations with which we cooperate locally. In 2019 we had a pleasure to strengthen relations with female organizations, such as: Ekspertki Razem or Rails Girls. Our representatives had the opportunity to perform as speaker during the conferences and participate in expert’s panels.
Our goal in the field of corporate social responsibility is invariably: developing a passion for science, expanding engineering knowledge in practice using our laboratory facilities and through workshops, training and events for young engineers. We always act transparently and honestly, seeking the best solutions for both our clients and employees, in the challenging time. We look for new business partners and external organizations, with whom we will work together for our society.
Our Culture
As full signatories of the Charter of Diversity from 2015, we obliged ourselves to implement the principles of diversity management and equal treatment policy, as well as to promote and disseminate them amongst all the stakeholders across our organization. The most important aspects to which we committed ourselves include:
- the creation of an organizational atmosphere and culture, which ensures respect for diversity;
- the development and implementation of policies for equal treatment and diversity management in a workplace;
- the implementation of anti-discriminatory and anti-mobbing monitoring, as well as regular educational programs concerning the counteraction of discrimination and mobbing, in order to raise the awareness and knowledge about this issue through training sessions, workshops and measures targeted at all employees, with emphasis on management;
- increasing the awareness about unconscious biases that can impact decisions we make about people in our everyday work.
In 2019 we extended our activities and main approach adding “inclusion”. From September we are operating as EDC Diversity & Inclusion Team.
In 2019 we managed to achieve our biggest goal: we conducted the D&I survey at EDC and received 786 responses. We also got a lot of insights after focus groups and interviews. From July to December we had 7 team meetings. We have a new structure of the EDC D&I team and a new attitude to cooperation with the whole organization. We set up the D&I Core Team, D&I Friends and Ambassadors groups believing, that thanks to the new approach we will act efficiently and effectively in 2020.
The Compliance culture at EDC constitutes an integral part of the policy in force at all GE entities worldwide. It is based on compliance with legal provisions and the GE’s internal regulations and policies. Clearly specified rules support our employees in their daily duties, thereby helping them increase global and local awareness and responsibility. The GE rules at EDC are treated as an integral part of our organizational culture and as a signpost on which our decision-making processes are based. The scope of the business ethics & compliance at EDC encompasses the issues regulated by the GE code of conduct entitled “The Spirit & The Letter” and numerous corporate and business-specific procedures and guidelines. They include, in particular:
- protection of information and intellectual property;
- environment, health and safety;
- export control;
- counteracting conflicts of interest;
- business ethics;
- equal employment opportunities;
- verification of working time.
Since 2015, compliance with procedures at EDC is supported by the EDC Compliance Community – a team of specialists dedicated to specific risk areas. They perform their tasks by utilizing the support and knowledge of their colleagues from other teams operating in GE organizations worldwide. Over the last year the subject of particular importance was the protection of GE information and trade secrets – the principles of which are subject to constant improvement along with the changing legal environment and the emergence of new threats to its security. GE intellectual property is our key asset, so company aggressively protects and defends it. Within the “GE Proprietary Information workouts” we educated vast majority of EDC people leaders on the GE data protection requirements. We also enforced our local processes implementing appropriate local mechanisms that answer to critical situations.
Efficacy of the compliance system at EDC results from the commitment of all employees, their awareness and willingness to support the open reporting culture implemented across all GE’s entities. We protect whistleblowers with confidentiality and non-retaliation policy so that they could be our “eyes and ears” and the backbone of the compliance system.
It involves providing the employees with access to a series of channels for internal reporting on the risks and violations observed, as well as any remarks and queries in the area of compliance. The solutions adopted under the EDC business ethics & compliance are communicated to employees mainly through training sessions, the weekly newsletter, posters, dedicated intranet websites, as well as meetings with our team of specialists.
Experts in business ethics & compliance also conduct annual risk analyses and thematic reviews of individual areas, aimed at streamlining the processes occurring in our organization. The efficiency of the EDC’s business ethics & compliance additionally involves regular corporate audits performed by external GE auditors.
In addition to the principles of The Spirit and The Letter, we have also created and implemented a code of ethics called EDCompass. Every new employee is required to read it and follow the principles of mutual respect, feedback culture and commitment in daily work.
For Employees
At the Engineering Design Center, we do our best to ensure that all the individuals employed are aware of their full development potential. Training is an inseparable part of our corporate reality. We emphasize the importance of continuous improvement. Our ambition is to build a strong organization with the participation of fully-fledged managers and thoroughly committed employees. We provide them with a set of tools that support their development and help them expand their horizons according to their individual needs.
In 2019 we held:
- 304 preliminary training sessions for new employees
- 40 language courses
- 264 technical training sessions
- 103 training courses developing soft skills and Project Management Skills
- 429 training sessions on labor standards, entitlements and provisions in force
- 45 training sessions developing leadership skills
In total, there was 1,529 training sessions in 2019, that attracted 9,303 participants.
“Soft skills” trainings
Our training courses on soft competences are designed to help our employees acquire and improve their interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. The meetings take the form of workshops – carried out in medium-sized groups (around a dozen of people) by a trainer who is simultaneously an expert in each field. During the training sessions, our employees learn new behaviors, have an opportunity to practice and discuss them with the group, as well as plan the way they want to utilize this knowledge in the future. Soft training courses are selected by our employees themselves, depending on their needs. Alternatively, they can be referred to such trainings courses by trainings by their superiors. Participation in our workshops generates a series of practical benefits that can be used in everyday life and constitutes an excellent source of inspiration for managing one’s work, projects and team.
Technical trainings
To enhance their professional qualifications and gain more opportunities for development, employees, with the consent of their manager, enroll in training sessions dedicated to technical issues. Each employee’s development path includes both mandatory training and courses which can be attended in one’s free time.
Technical trainings are divided into:
- stationary – conducted on site, on EDC premises, by our qualified and experienced specialists;
- global – conducted in English via an Internet messenger or by telepresence.
Leadership trainings
People who lead teams at EDC, can also participate in trainings dedicated to them. There are obligatory trainings that are assigned to each person, who is promoted to People Leader role e.g. Leadership training for new manager. Also, organization provide external/internal trainings ‘on demand’ where Manager decide which competences, he/she wants to develop.
CoSE (Centre of Skills Excellence) Trainings
As part of the improvement process, we provide our employees with training courses that develop their non-technical skills as well. Thanks to the workshops conducted by internal trainers, the participants expand their knowledge and improve the skills that help them achieve greater efficiency at work and in private life. These training sessions are available to all employees and are held outside of their working hours.
Industry-based training
The priority for each employee is to gain the status of a professional in his/her field. As an employee friendly organization supporting the professional goals of our employees, we make it possible for our specialists to take advantage of various development programs.
Such programs differ across our organization. We mostly offer goal-oriented programs, so that our employees can concentrate on the objectives they have set at a specific time. These programs are diversified and dependent on numerous variables, including experience. The employees use a tool based on functional models, allowing them to assess their level of knowledge and plan their own technical development. A useful tool for planning their professional career is offered by matrices with templates of technical and soft competences, specified at the levels of the employment structure. Using such matrices, our employees analyze their specific skills and predispositions, and then, based on the observations, receive a dedicated development path directed towards the selected area. The matrices stimulate employees to learn, as well as allow them, despite the rush of daily activities, to still focus on the future and their own development. They are also useful to the management of our organization in their daily managerial activities, in assigning tasks or planning the workload. Thanks to competence matrices, we can discern and monitor the path leading to an ideal state in which we have a fully flexible, cross-trained team.
Furthermore, our organization has implemented the process of “exchange”, which makes it possible for employees to acquire knowledge about projects executed in each of the departments. The benefit of this solution is the possibility of exchanging views and experiences between employees of the same business area, openness to new solutions and attempts to diversify the work. The criteria for the exchange are manifold – the employees migrate between departments within specific program or as a result of available resources in the particular teams. This process is intensified by the employees’ participation in technical discussion groups, where engineers at all levels can, on a broader forum, exchange information about state-of-the-art methods, technologies and processes, as well as share their ideas and newly developed solutions, thereby stimulating innovation
Mentoring at the EDC was developed to address the specific needs of our staff, as a form of support for employees in their quest to achieve their individual goals. This cooperation is based on knowledge sharing. The receptiveness to dialogue and employees’ opinions are the foundation of our organizational culture. The mentoring process involves all the employees at our center. Activities involve mutual inspiration, stimulation and counselling by specialized experts in specific fields, as well as assistance in achieving success by our talented staff. We place great emphasis on the partner-based nature of the mentor- employee relationship. It offers much freedom – each employee can choose his/her own mentor or ask his/her superior for assistance. The role of a mentor is entrusted to experienced employees of the company, who have extensive experience and knowledge in each area, as well as highly developed personal and social competences. As a supervisor of an employee’s professional development, a mentor supports his mentee in solving any emerging problems and provides her/him with specialist knowledge about the work performed. Furthermore, mentors help their mentees follow their individual career paths tailored to their needs and expectations. An unquestionable advantage of mentoring in our organization is the growing commitment of employees to their work, the strengthening of internal communication and good atmosphere both within a team and across the entire EDC. Mentoring at the EDC has so far been mainly informal in nature. A more formalized form of mentoring is offered by the One GE Mentoring Program, which pairs up mentoring individuals from various GE sites in Poland, as well as fosters the exchange of knowledge and creation of relationships between various businesses.
Development programs
Edison Engineering Development Program (EEDP) is an international program designed for fresh graduates (up to 2 years after graduation), who would like to embark on a professional career in engineering. The program is primarily focused on increasing technical skills, learning problem solving methods in engineering projects, as well as enhancing effective teamwork skills. Daily work is combined with learning and dedicated training sessions. Throughout the program, the engineers circulate amongst 3 or 4 different teams. It enables them to better familiarize themselves with the organization and the various areas of engineering work. At the same time, the programs’ participants receive a large dose of knowledge. Practice shows that they take active part in all the classes and do their best to take full advantage of them.
In 2019, we invited a total of 10 individuals to participate in the Edison Engineering Development Program. Those people are gaining experience in the areas of GE Aviation and GE Gas Power.In 2019, we launched a special edition of the Talent Development Program (TDP) in the Aviation business, giving engineers a chance to develop in the area of systemic thinking. Eleven participants are given an opportunity to strengthen their skills in examining systems in terms of their complexity, sensitivity to a change of a single variable, or tendency to deepen or attenuate a given system parameter in time. The outline of the program was developed on the basis of the developmental needs of the participants, concerning three main areas: product development and certification, product integration with the system and technical program management. One of the key elements of the program is technical mentoring. Participants can discuss issues related to their daily work and professional development in terms of systemic thinking and specific products on which they are currently working, taking advantage of the knowledge and experience of selected experts. This way, the organization will facilitate simultaneous achievement of professional goals and development of future technical leaders within the organization.
In 2019, in order to address the developmental needs of managers, we continued the Engineering Development Leadership Program. Within the framework of the program, there are developmental sessions which include motivational speeches by inspiring speakers, exercises, discussion panels, articles and films on issues related to leadership skills necessary in the current business conditions and the changing reality. In 2019 the management staff from the Aviation department took part in 4 sessions of this program.
In 2019 we launched second edition of the Acceleration Lab program within EDC Gas Power business. 10 participants had a chance to face real-life business challenges such as recruiting interns or preparing office renovation ideas. The goal of the program is to develop leadership skills in practice by learning “on-the job”. To support those activities, the participants have a series of meetings with GE Gas Power and EDC Leadership team, took Gallup’s Strengths Finder talent assessment and each of them had a mentor assigned. The program lasts one year, and the formal graduation takes place on Engineering Recognition Day ceremony.
In 2019 we also launched a new edition of the local mentoring program in Gas Power section. The program took 6 months and the goal was to develop newly hired talents and offer multi-generational cooperation. The mentees were 6 engineers starting their careers in GE Gas Power and the mentors were the technical experts (Controlled Title Holders) and system engineers. The program had some formal boundaries, but mostly offered flexibility to choose the right topics, meeting frequency and goals. The mentoring covered both technical topics as well as business discussions and career advices. The feedback was very positive and the engagement from both mentors and mentees exceeded the expectations.
GE’s Women’s Network is all about growth. It unites nearly 70,000 women working at GE to cultivate their leadership skills, business practices, personal contacts, and career opportunities. By engaging and developing our members in areas such as technology, operations, and commercial roles, we are promoting growth among leaders, who will ensure both their career success and GE’s growth as a company.
In 2019, GE Women’s Network at EDC organized 19 miscellaneous events including: EDC Academy, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Symposium, Panel “My work, My life, My balance”, Inspiring event with Jagoda Walorek, Pottery Workshop and Winter Holiday Meeting. All events gathered nearly 350 participants. At the same time, GE Women’s Network launched Newsletter and Yammer, as main communication channels. What is more our leaders started the series of Coffee Chats and working Lunches to improve networking skills of GE Women’s Network members.
We have also started cooperation with Rails Girls. On 19th and 20 th of October 2019, almost 50 women from across the country participated in two-day crash-course to the exciting world of building web apps with Ruby on Rails. Rails Girls workshop was aimed for women who want to learn the basics of programming and get familiar with IT world. Expert team of coaches from leading tech companies were helping attendees to craft their first web application. EDC was represented by GE Women’s Network and Digital Team. On Sunday, October 20th, Ewa Chachulska (Java Software Engineer) gave a presentation on how she built her path to become a software engineer – encouraging participants to follow their passions while developing professional career.
In 2020 GE Women’s Network plans to continue to broaden networking via coffee chats and lunches, Yammer communication and Newsletter. Initiative will assist young women in taking technical path utilizing supporting events like EDC Academy or Rails Girls. As a response for women’s needs, few workshops will be held in 2020, for instance: Welding training, AOS, Agile and Digital. What is more GE Women’s Network plans trips to the factories such as GE MRO in XEOS. To emphasize women’s accomplishments and growth, the end of 2020 will be celebrated by the gathering during Winter Holiday Meeting.
A healthy lifestyle is something obvious for most of EDC employees. They do not have to be encouraged to play sports, strive for work – life balance or to eat healthy. As HealthAhead we are actively trying to expand our horizons. We encourage creation of new sports groups or initiatives positively affecting our mental or physical well-being. In leading those activities, HealthAhead (HA) organization has supported us for the last 10 years.
The HA’s mission is to inspire employees and their family members to obtain optimum health and well-being. This program revolves around leading a healthy lifestyle: healthy eating, coping with stress, physical activity, promotion of regular medical a check-ups and fighting the tobacco addiction. HealthAhead helps achieve a work-life balance, for instance by organizing stress-coping campaigns, meditation classes and support groups for home-related problems.
In 2019, 16 Get Active groups operated within HA: EDC Basketball, Bikers, Calisthenics, Climbers, Hockey, Divers, Healthy Spine, Kayakers, Runners, Soccer, Squash, Swimmers, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball and a brand new – EDC Yachting Team, which was a great success from the very start. Jarek Olchowik, Yachting Team founder, gathered more than 100 people with a strong passion for sailing, from the whole organization. Within the year they have set sails 3 times.
Last year we had a great opportunity to attend several events organized by HA members.
In March we have started celebration of 10th anniversary of HA by Meet the HealthAhead event.
There was a chance to meet representatives of the HA sections, ask questions and watch pictures from HA events and exercises. We could have taken a picture using a photo booth, learn how to tie knots and relax in professional massage chair. The biggest surprise for everyone was cycling to prepare a healthy drink.
HealthAhead Day took place on May 15th. Around 700 people participated in the biggest festival of sport at EDC. There was an occasion to try 18 attractions:
| • Air bike Competition | • Health Coaching |
| • CrossFit Challenge | • Individual Dietitians Consultation |
| • to Berth Ship Challenge | • Functional Movement Systems |
| • Introduction to Diving | • Basic Preventive Diagnosis |
| • Table Tennis Tournament | • Quick Diagnostic Tests |
| • Back Massages | • Dermatologist Consultations |
| • Mindfulness | • Opticians’ Consultation |
| • Yoga | • Healthy Food Truck |
| • Fruits available | • Quit Tobacco |
Another impressive event was the Jingle Bells Run organized by Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation with the support of GE Volunteers and GE HealthAhead. The run was open for all employees from our site. Every runner had an opportunity to invite one adult (wife/husband/partner) and kids. Event was divided into two parts: main 3 km run for adults and the children run with a distance of 300/100 meters (100 meters for small kids and 300 meters for older children). Each runner who crossed the finishing line got a medal. After the run, there was a hot chocolate, holiday cakes and winter tea. During the event, we managed to gather more than 5000 PLN. Money was donated to the Children’s Home.
The next activity was something entirely new at EDC. We had a chance to undertake HA30-day challenge. Rules were simple – each day participants got one healthy challenge. Then, everybody shared their accomplishments on our Facebook group. Winners got wonderful prizes, but – more importantly – our challenge lead to positive lifestyle changes and maintaining good habits.
A very interesting and proposition in the HealthAhead portfolio were Find Balance events. We kicked off this series with dispelling Myths about depression. The course took place in November. The second one – Psychosomatics – ’Body wisdom’ workshop on the origin and treatment of psychosomatic diseases took place in December. In total 30 people participated in this training.
As every year, November at EDC was the month of healthy spine. To celebrate that we have invited our employees for free spine massages lead by professional physiotherapists. Each massage took approx. 10 min.
For 2020 HealthAhead Team plans 4 major events, several dozen smaller meetings and events, new competitions and challenges. The main emphasis will be on mental health.
Continuous cooperation and a dialog between employer and employees are the foundation of the Engineering Design Center’s culture. The Engagement Team is responsible for facilitating that communication channel. Throughout several years there have been a dozen of sessions where an input collected from employees was presented to EDC leaders on various organizational levels. The goal of these discussions was to assure that people’s voice is heard, and appropriate actions are put in place.
This approach has been successfully used to track down all the expectations related to a surrounding environment as well as to cultivate the passion for work in such a great place as EDC. The Engagement Team has recorded plenty of ideas and brought a lot of them into projects and, subsequently, into life: modern canteen, food trucks on site, improvements in parking space management and regulations, introduction of a new dress code and many others.
In 2019, Engagement Team held 9 working sessions, during which they talked about current ideas, solutions and plans for the coming years. The biggest project of 2019 was arranging babysitting for employees’ children during the teachers’ strike. More than 30 kids had a chance to play games and take part in animations coordinated by 2 babysitters provided by professional agency. This two-week initiative was a great support for working parents at EDC.
Happy employees and their effective cooperation result in a success for any organization. That’s why EDC management is striving to meet the expectations and preferences of our employees. Our staff can count on various benefits, both financial and non-financial.
Flexible working place and hours
For many years now, the employees at EDC have been able to benefit from flexible working hours. This solution helps them adjust the time they begin and finish their work according to their individual needs. As a result, they are able to better combine various lifestyles or family situations with their professional responsibilities.
From 2017, employees who have received the manager’s approval can also work remotely on selected days. In addition, employees can work from home on an occasional basis, in exceptional situations.
In 2019 we have created two rooms that allow employees to work with the kids from the office. We have the baby room (specially adapted to care for an infant) and the room to work with a child (equipped with toys).
Medical care
Each employee on an employment contract may benefit from private healthcare, encompassing health programs, disease prevention, as well as daily support in case of any health problems. Each subscription guarantees unlimited access to specialist consultations during illnesses, upon exacerbation of chronic disease, as well as help in emergency cases. The services available to our employees and their families include: comprehensive specialist consultations, consultations with a psychologist (including a sexologist/andrologist) and psychiatrist, consultations with professors with referral, comprehensive diagnostic tests (laboratory and imaging diagnostics), out-patient consultation procedures, skin allergy tests, pregnancy management, vaccinations against flu/antitetanus anatoxin, dental consultations, preventive “Healthy Woman” and “Healthy Man” Medical Check-Up, rehabilitation, etc.
Life insurance
All our employees, irrespective of their working time, are offered basic group health and life insurance coverage on preferential terms. If an employee wishes to participate in the insurance coverage, she/he needs to complete a relevant declaration. The insurance coverage encompasses the life and health of each subscribed employee and, to the extent specified, his/her closest family members. Insured employees are entitled to payments, for example, in the event of illness or accident leading to their hospitalization or incapacity to work.
Multisport card
With our employees in mind, we have negotiated attractive conditions for joining the Multisport Program, which allows the participants to use the numerous options available for actively spending their free time. Employees who declare their willingness to participate in the Multisport Program receive a special Sports Card that provides them with an unlimited access to over 244 sports facilities across Poland and to miscellaneous recreational and sporting activities. Moreover, it is possible to purchase additional, personal Multisport cards for family members. Each of our employees can enroll one person over 15 years of age, as well as three children up to the age of 15.
Subsidies
For the benefit of our employees and their families, within the framework of our Company Social Benefits Fund available in our organization, we provide a series of additional benefits. Before Easter and Christmas employees can apply for an occasional subsidy. On top of that they can get additional funding for summer holidays, housing loans and special assistance grants. Moreover, employees who find it necessary to wear eyeglasses while working with computer screens may apply for additional funding to purchase them. We also offer subsidies to the 3rd pension pillar (IKE).
We also finance or co-finance employees’ training courses, workshops, seminars, post-graduate studies and language courses. All this to develop and build the competences of our employees.
For the Community
GE Volunteers is an initiative that is operating at EDC for almost 10 years. The main goal of this group is to provide direct support to those in need, chosen by the people involved in charity initiatives. Our employees take conscious decisions about helping others, in accordance with their own needs and potential. We support all those who participate in joint charitable projects and inspire them to take further actions.
In 2019, our employees took on 22 projects. They spent more than 1300 hours helping others. The campaigns related to 4 areas: education, local community support, health-oriented issues and increasing environmental awareness.
In cooperation with the Academy of the Future, GE Volunteers organized Young Explorers Club – regular classes for children and youth. The volunteers and club members carried out scientific experiments in physics, chemistry or natural sciences. An interesting event organized in 2019 was about making the plane model and simple electromagnet that consisted of screw, enameled cooper wire, battery and switch. Children learned about electromagnets: how it works and what its applications are. In addition, they had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the construction of a simple plane and test its flight. During classes they gained a practical knowledge about aviation and electricity.
GE Volunteers also organized the recurring events for kids from Children’s Care Home No. 2 in Warsaw, such as ice skating and bumper cars driving at the National Stadium in the winter and bike tours or horse-riding during summer. They also coordinated numerous educational events for Warsaw’s primary schools’ students.
Before Christmas we have organized sweet charity event called It’s a piece of cake. During the 6th edition we managed to gather 2 100 PLN. With this money we bought material aid for Children’s House in Strobow.
This year EDC once again joined the MotoMikołajki campaign organized by Fundacja Jednym Śladem. We were collecting detergents for five children’s houses in Równe, Kaliska, Łbiska, Badów and Wyszków. Within 9 days, we have collected over 300 items.
The Volunteers did not forget about our little brothers. In October LEAP leadership team volunteered to help out in Animal Shelter in Korabiewice. Our employees repaired old doghouses before the winter. They used old banners and impregnates to fix and insulate them. 15 of our volunteers managed to renovate 20 doghouses. Our employees also moved some of them straight to dog pens for the pooches to use. Event’s summary:
- 15 participants
- 75 hours of fantastic, invaluable work in Animal Shelter in Korabiewice
- 20 restored doghouses.
Every year we try to add some new projects and implement new ideas. In 2019 we were able to join 2 nationwide actions.
In the fall we have held a unique event – Donor Day. Action was prepared in cooperation with DKMS. The key mission of this foundation is to provide a suitable Donor for every patient in need of a blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Likelihood of finding a matching Donor is very low. The more potential Donors registered, the bigger the chances to save patients suffering from blood cancer. After our event we have 100 more potential donors in the registry.
In 2019 for the first-time various GE businesses across Poland took part in WOŚP charity. Together across all sites our donation to WOŚP charity amounted to 4891,87 PLN. At EDC alone we have collected 3716,47 PLN, 21 USD, 6 euros and 200 CZK. Money was officially transferred to WOŚP Collection Centre. The funds raised during 28th Grand Finale was used to finance the purchase of medical equipment for pediatric surgery and subsequent treatment.
In 2020, we will continue our recurring projects and join new ones resulting from the needs of our local community.
Every year Night at the Institute of Aviation gathers more and more people. 10th edition was a record one. 51 000 people entered Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation grounds in the 6-hour window (5 p.m. – 11 p.m.). Thanks to more than 90 volunteers working on our stand and in laboratories, we were able to share our knowledge and passion with visitors, who came to this event and to hold the unique EDC Hackathon 2019 Drones.
EDC stand was visited by thousands of people. We got more than 450 postcards with greetings from kids, who played in our creative zone. Visitors of EDC stand could have watched our multimedia exhibition and 3D printing show. For the first time we had a dedicated stand where we exhibited Catalyst’s components and explained, why this project is so important not only for the Aviation industry, but also for the environment. A treat for the youngest was a working model of turbofan engine made from LEGO blocks.
Our digital engineers also prepared great surprise for the guests. They were able to try out flight simulator built for the last year’s Hackathon and see one of the drones assembled for this year’s edition. What is more, digital stand offered live transmission of EDC Hackathon Drones, which took place at the same time on EDC campus.
During this special night EDC opened two of our laboratories for guests: Material Laboratory and (for the first time ever) Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics Laboratory.
During 10th Night at the Institute of Aviation, EDC held a unique 24-hour long programming competition – EDC Hackathon Drones 2019. 16 programmers divided into 4 teams had one goal – set up autonomous drone system and accomplish high level tasks without human pilot assistance. Hackathon Drones was a 3rd such event held by EDC Digital Team. For the first time competition was prepared by Connected Aircraft section. This year we had 110 submissions from people all over Poland willing to take part in this unique experience.
The competitors had to deliver a package using a drone, find a specific landing pad and land their UAV, fly through a hole in a wall, discharge cargo in a specific point and finally follow a train. All tasks had to be done simply by programming without drone operators’ involvement. Team One More Flight won EDC Hackathon 2019 Drones. What is the most impressive – contestants met for the first time during the event.
In 2019 we had a great pleasure to cooperate with WarsawJS – one of the biggest communities of JavaScript enthusiasts, who are focused on sharing their experience in different fields in which JS is used, from web browsers, to servers, dev tools, mobiles, smart TVs, micro controllers, databases, video games and so on.
On December 6th we hosted ConFrontJS conference. In one day more than 300 front-end developers had the opportunity to listen to 16 lectures by speakers from all over the world. One of the lecturers was Przemysław Zych our Staff Software Engineer. Przemek talked about “Building infrastructure using TypeScript”. His lecture was very enthusiastically received by the audience. In between the lectures, participants had a chance to visit EDC stand and talk to the experts about our culture and daily work at EDC.
At EDC we are not only the organizers of Hackathons, our employees also take part in them. In the fall our software developers participated in WAWCode – Koduj dla Warszawy hackathon. The aim of it was to create a software solution that could help Warsaw citizens in their everyday lives.
4 EDC employees and EDC alumnus formed a team named Good Enough. Within 24 hours our coders managed to build iAutostop – a working carpooling application, inspired by BlaBlaCar, but for local lifts.
The basic functionality of the app allows for realization of rides, including calculating drivers’ and passengers’ routes, matching them, accepting and finishing rides, all that supported by a simple and friendly user interface.
On May 28th, GE Women’s Network had a pleasure to participate in a seminar regarding “Impact of the inclusive working culture on the company performance. Tools, indicators, good practices”. The meeting took place at Embassy of the Netherlands. It was a great opportunity to discuss many essential topics connected to diversity and inclusiveness. “We talked about the benefits that not only the whole organization gains, but also every employee might have. Together with such companies as IBM we shared lots of best practices“ – said Aleksandra Ochwat, GE Women’s Network Leader.
Apart from other companies there was also a Doctor of Psychology who talked a lot about mental health of employees – how to manage traumatic experiences, how to prepare team to cooperate with a person whose life has been full of trials and tribulations and also how to help someone with tragic experiences.
This kind of meeting shows how important is to share experiences, to talk and discuss these matters together to improve our professional environment not only within one company but also the whole society.
For Students
EDC has been working closely with scientific units and the best Polish technical universities since the very beginning of our center. In 2019 we had offered students and graduates a short and long-term internships programs, two editions of Justyna Moniuszko Scholarships, internship programs supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Edison Engineering Development Program, EDC Ambassador program, exchange of knowledge during the Open Days and also various events at EDC.
Our intention is encouraging talented and promising young people in Poland to stay and work in engineering positions in the country. By giving them a chance to gain experience in the best engineering design center in Europe, we are co-creating the future of the young generation. Moreover, we want to inspire the youth to continuously broaden their horizons and fulfill their potential, by providing them with the necessary skills.
In 2019, we got involved in a series of meetings and projects with students to give them an opportunity to become familiar with the EDC as an employer which is open to cooperating with universities and willing to help young people get into the labor market.
EDC is meeting the needs and expectations of students and graduates of higher education institutions not only as an attractive employer, but also as an expert in the field of breakthrough solutions in aviation, gas power and state-of-the-art digital technologies. Individuals who are beginning their professional careers and would like to gain engineering experience by participating in real engineering projects, as well as become familiar with the organizational business culture while continuing their studies may take advantage of our short-term internships program which last from 1 to 2 months, or long-term internship program which last up to 6 months.
Both programs are associated with subsequent employment contracts and are designed to support the candidates’ professional development and to prepare them for future work in expert positions. In 2019, EDC employed a total of 36 trainees and 28 interns. Most of the students and graduates had completed or continued their studies at Warsaw University of Technology, the Poznań University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Military University of Technology in Warsaw (WAT), and Rzeszów University of Technology.
In 2019 we continued our project dedicated to students of higher education institutions called the EDC Ambassador Program. This initiative helped us maintain permanent contact with the world of science and stay abreast with all new student activities. In the 8th edition, EDC had 6 ambassadors, who represented 4 leading higher education institutions in Poland:
- Poznań University of Technology
- AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków
- Warsaw University of Technology
- Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering
- Faculty of Automotive and Construction Machinery Engineering
- Military University of Technology in Warsaw
- Faculty of mechatronics and aviation
- Faculty of new technologies and chemistry
EDC Academy under the brand of Pani Inżynier w Pracy organized by GE Women’s Network is a 4-day workshop. In 2019 we have invited 20 female students from Polish technical universities to learn how to build their careers and get to know how the work in the technology industry looks like.
Students have deepened their knowledge in areas of 3D printing, discovered the world class equipment and facilities in material laboratory and participated in Agile/Scrum training to boost digital skills. Participants were also provided with soft skills trainings, such as: assertiveness in business, art of self-presentation and mastering interviews. “Our participants had a great opportunity to take part in a lab tour. They visited 3D printing and Materials Lab, learnt a lot about Agile and Scrum and actively participated in some business trainings such as self-presentation. It was nice to observe their amazing engagement! Together we have created a fantastic team where we learned a lot from each other – not only our guests, but also we as organizers and lecturers gained many unique experiences” – said Aleksandra Ochwat, GE Women’s Network Leader and the organizer of the EDC Academy series.
Why women? We believe that employees’ diversity and the comfortable work environment allow for development, inventiveness and competitiveness. Pani Inżynier w Pracy: Akademia EDC is an initiative aimed at promoting technical faculties and engineering profession among women in the areas which are usually considered to be dominated by men.
In 2019 we continued the industry PhDs program of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW). It is a kind of a trilateral agreement: company-employee-higher education institution. The Organizer (applicant) is the higher education institution, which submits a given doctoral dissertation to the ministry in order to obtain a subsidy. The Ministry has allocated a scholarship for 500 individuals from all over Poland. A doctoral student from a given company receives PLN 2,450 a month as a scholarship, the higher education institution receives the funds for providing the research infrastructure.
In 2019 8 EDC engineers started Industrial PhD within the 3rd wave of the program. In total there are 22 doctoral students at EDC, who have started Industrial PhD since 2017.
Our doctoral students represent various businesses, including Gas Power, Aviation, Avionics & Digital Solutions (now: Avionics & DES and Aviation Digital Technology).
The PhDs program is held in cooperation with the following three scientific entities – the Faculty of Material Engineering of the Warsaw University of Technology (WIM PW), the Mechanical Faculty of Energy and Aviation of the Warsaw University of Technology (MEiL PW), and the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IPPT PAN). All the subjects of the doctoral dissertations are compliant with the GE’s business activities.
In 2019, once again we funded the scholarship in memory of Justyna Moniuszko – a student of the Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering from the Warsaw University of Technology, who died tragically in the plane crash in Smoleńsk, on April 10th, 2010. The objective of the scholarship is to financially support the most gifted students of the Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering from the Warsaw University of Technology.
In 2019, we selected two winners, whom we provided with monthly financial support for 3 semesters of their master studies (6,500pln per semester). Within 10 years, 28 students benefited from the scholarship.
Faculty of Automotive and Construction Machinery Engineering (SIMR) is one of the most popular faculties among EDC employees. We value the graduates and education level of this department, that’s why we have been cooperating with that faculty for many years.
On May 10th we took part in an Open Day at this Faculty. We were pleased to answer questions from students and professors. We had a lot of interesting conversations. Students we had the opportunity to meet, are a generation that knows what they want. They have specific plans. We talked to a person who was already developing his own business, another one was planning to volunteer in Africa and looking for a job that can be started in the 3rd quarter, next person wanted to work as a reliability engineer and somebody was searching for internships in Avionics Team. Everyone knew in which direction they want to develop their career and where they want to increase their skills. They are determined and self-confident. We are eager to welcome those students in our midst as soon as they finish their education.
Military University of Technology (WAT) is one of the universities we have been cooperating with for several years. Many of its graduates currently work at EDC. We have shared good practices and supported scientific projects of this University for many areas.
In 2019, we have visited WAT several times. One of the events was Power Day in May. Our representative was one of the guest speakers. He talked about Gas Power’s business activities, current projects conducted by Gas Turbine Center and career opportunities for students.
In addition to the lecture, we had the opportunity to talk to students face-to-face at EDC stand, to tell them about the internship program, Edison Engineering Development Program and organizational culture in our center.
EDC is building a competitive advantage thanks to new technologies and experienced engineering staff. We focus on continuous development of both technological processes and the competences of our engineers. It is important for us, that the people working at EDC feel, that it is a place where they will find a transparent career path, with rules of equal treatment and a culture of open dialogue and inclusion. It is a community willing to share their passions both inside and outside the organization. Together we are building an environment based on the principles of mutual respect and trust.