Drone Workforce Solutions, a Delaware-based company and We See You Security, a Camden-based company have joined forces to offer community residents opportunities in drone technology, virtual reality technology, and agriculture.
Camden, NJ – Coming in the spring of 2021, DWS Drone School will introduce its first class, teaching drone technology, virtual reality technology, and agriculture to members of the local community. This is the first opportunity of its kind to come to Camden during this technological era. Camden, a leader in technology with the city’s “Camden Rising” initiative, has become home to several companies that are at the forefront of technology; American Water, Holtec, EMR, Subaru, The Michaels Organization, Resin Tech Inc, Joint Health Sciences Center, to name a few.
This is an amazing opportunity for local residents to learn to become drone pilots and to become licensed by the FAA. Yes, this is a nontraditional opportunity that many folks from the inner-city do not always have access to. However, this will all change coming this spring. During an exclusive interview with the editor of the nation’s premiere faith-based and professional newspaper for winners, Anointed News Journal, Ray Jones and Theo Nix, Jr., both shared their outlook on the partnership and opportunity for locals.
Collins:
Chris Collins here in an interview with Mr. Theophilus R. Nix, Jr. and Mr. Raymond Jones. Both of you have been featured in the Anointed News Journal, however, for our readers please tell us who is Theophilus R. Nix Jr.
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr. is a former Corporate Counsel of Dupont and other corporations and a life-long entrepreneur. Thirty-seven years of practicing law. I graduated from the legendary Howard University Law School. I’m a second-generation lawyer. I’m a person who is passionate about workforce development and employing Americans in technology and in particular, people of color, African Americans, Latinos, young people and our great veterans. I’m passionate about these various technologies which include drone technology and all its applications and in virtual realities. There are hundreds of billions of dollars and opportunities in both of those spaces. That is our mission; well-paying jobs and sustainable employment.
Collins:
For our readers who is Raymond Jones?
Ray Jones:
Who is Ray Jones? I was born and raised in Camden. I am CEO and President of We See You, a safety and security company. I am also President of the Camden Business Association, as well as I am on the Board of Directors for the African American Chamber. I am located here in the city of Camden particularly for one purpose, because I want to share my experiences with young people that I believe are the future of our community. I want to make sure that they have the same opportunities that I had.
Collins:
Ray when you talk about sharing your experiences, it is my understanding that you are a retired police captain as well as an entrepreneur.
Ray Jones:
Yes, I am a retired police captain. I retired in 2009. Both my experiences from the police force and my entrepreneurship is what I want to share. I want to share that experience with the younger people starting a company and hope that I can fast track them in their journey. I came from the school of hard knocks in business and I have gained a lot of knowledge. I have been involved in speaking engagements sharing my experiences.
Collins:
Gentlemen, Drone Workforce Solutions and We See You Securities have come together in partnership to develop a Drone Technology School here in the city of Camden. Why is bringing the Drone Technology School to Camden important? Why is the partnership important to you two?
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
For me, DWS Drone School which is the school of technology and Drone Workforce Solutions which is the employment and staffing company is looking for a location in the country that could be an incubator, an innovation center and a training laboratory in these technologies. We see Camden as a great opportunity to drive that vision. We have seen a lot of new businesses coming to Camden. We want to make it one of the technology hubs of drone and virtual reality technologies.
We see somebody like Ray Jones and We See You Security as a strategic partner in that vision. It is hard to find visionaries and Ray Jones is a visionary. All that he has done in his past and all that he has done with his business leads me to believe that he would be an excellent strategic partner with us in helping us to drive the technology space in teaching the young kids, veterans, returning citizens, people of all ages, nationalities, gender and people in the community who are looking for an opportunity to create generational wealth for their families. We also look forward to helping them find employment in these growing technologies.
We thought from a business standpoint it made total sense to partner with him. Ray is connected here in Camden. He is well respected. He is a fellow African American male like me and together we had many conversations about this global vision if you will.
We think it makes total business sense and I would say you cannot do anything big by yourself. You must have partners and you must have the right partners. So, this is our first major partner that we are going to engage with. We are excited about what we can do together to really teach and employ people looking for an opportunity to create generational wealth for their families.
Ray Jones:
This partnership is very important to me personally as well as to our company. When I look at the footprint of what is going on here locally in the City of Camden and in Camden County, our graduating high school seniors are not all heading into college and that is a fact. I believe that these generations are gamers and by that, I mean that they are technology savvy early. They have been introduced to technology as early as 2 or 3 years old. At that age, they are already playing with iPhones, iPads and are on computers.
Because of that early introduction to technology and although they are not going to college, they have developed the skills that a person would need to operate a drone.
It is also important to me because there is a session that is built into the training curriculum that introduces and provides additional information on how they can start their own business. I also believe that with renewed energy and the way our country is leaning towards that there will be a great opportunity for drone pilots.
If they have their own business, they can contract out some of these opportunities. This is a gateway for people that may be thinking about it but do not know how they are going to attain this.
Mr. Nix and I have been talking about this for about a year. We have been discussing the possibilities with renewed energy and wind turbines. These drones can do so many things and to give the people of this community the opportunity to participate in this technology and get their foot in the door with this type of business is huge. This program is remarkable and there is not anything that I can think of that will give them the information and tools they need to be successful and ready in the 21st century.
Collins:
Ray when you talk about the industry trend, you talk about what we are going through as a nation. During a horrific time in American history going back to September 11, 2001, you were credited for writing an Emergency Management Plan when you were a police officer with UMDNJ. How effective can drone technology be with local corporations when it comes to emergency management?
Ray Jones:
Unfortunately, in 2001 drones were not in play, helicopters were used to capture pictures so that they would have them for the future. There are things that drones can be used for in emergency management. The technology we have now will evolve in ten years.
In New York City last New Year’s Eve, they kept emphasizing that they were using drones to monitor the crowds. Our people, in particular, the people of color, are trying to give them an opportunity so that they are the ones that can be contracted out or work for a company that needs drone pilots. Therefore, from emergency management to the agricultural world, drones will play a part. When you get young and creative minds, they will find other significant ways in which drones can be used.
I am excited because it will give the people an opportunity that they may have thought they could not have. If you keep your eyes open, you will see that drones are already being used here. I was just talking to someone who said that their daughter just bought a house, and they were amazed that the inspection company they used was using drones to inspect the roof. There are many inspection companies looking for pilots. You cannot fly a drone without a license.
There are so many opportunities and needs for drone pilots, I want to make sure we are not left behind in our community. I want to help our community capitalize on this new opportunity. I believe we have so many gamers in our community and they can transition organically.
Collins:
Why DWS? Tell us a little about the success of DWS and tell us why people should consider DWS school for drone and virtual reality technologies?
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
Drone Workforce Solutions and DWS Drone School has a fantastic curriculum. We teach drone technology. It is a 70-hour program taught over 10 weeks. Our 612-page curriculum was put together by commercial airline pilots who are also flight instructors and flight drafters in the industry. I dare say humbly that it is one of the best curriculums available. The school provides the training you will need to pass the FAA Part 107 exam and it also helps you in having a career in the industry.
Let me explain what I mean by that: we teach you how to pass the FAA Part 107 exam. We teach you how to edit the data. It is all data collection at the end of the day, but you need to know how to edit. We teach you how to fly a drone in the field. We teach you how to start your own drone business. We provide you with all the documents needed to start your own company and we help you get started. We give you a $1900.00 top-notch drone equipped with a 4K camera. The drone has anti-collision so if you think you’re going to hit a tree, it will stop on its own. If the battery begins to run low, it will cut you off and come back and land automatically where it took off from. A fantastic machine. You cannot make the kind of money that we are going to charge our clients without having that kind of drone. Therefore, you cannot go to BestBuy and buy some slick-looking drone that cannot do the job for you.
After you complete your training, we have an employment and staffing company because what good is it if you have the education, but you cannot get a job. We have a full-service staffing company where we will put your information into our job portal. We may be one of the few companies that fully vet our drone operators for Corporate America and for the government. We confirm your drone license. We do a full background check. We provide substance abuse testing and much more. At the end of the day, you will be employed, and you will become part of a family. On the back end, we captured data with the information we need to send people out on the job. We know the zip code you are in, what type of drone you operate, and what kind of camera it is equipped with so that we can match you with the right jobs. We believe that there is no other company that does both training and provide help with employment. We have been approved by the NJ Department of Education and the NJ Department of Labor. So, those folks that may need money for training may be able to seek help there. We partnered with both agencies. We have also been approved by the states of Delaware and Georgia. We are the only school that we know of that has been approved by the United States Department of Veteran Affairs. For Veterans out there who are looking for something to do or looking for employment, they can take this course through the GI Bill. When you do your homework, you will see that there isn’t any other company that offers and has what we have.
Collins:
Ray, here in the city of Camden, We See You Security employs about 80 local residents. Why is it important for local people from Camden and South Jersey to take advantage of this Drone School?
Ray Jones:
I believe that this is important because this is relatively a new industry and it has been projected to be a 100 billion-dollar industry. That is the kind of numbers that they are projecting for this business. Our people in our community need to make sure that they are in a position to capitalize on that and participate in that growth, whether it be through job placement or starting their own businesses where they can position themselves for accepting these types of contracts.
There are so many ways that a person can capitalize on this opportunity. We want to make sure that they have some of the same opportunities that they have in other locations around the country. A lot of time, these opportunities are out of reach and the closest training is in New York somewhere.
We are providing the training and classes here in Camden. There is a coined phrase, “Camden is Rising”, well I want to make sure that the people in our local communities are rising just like the local institutions that are making Camden what it is today. We want to give the people an opportunity and a way to rise as well. That is why it is very important for our people to understand that there is an opportunity here and they can capitalize on it and be a part of the drone industry that is really in its infancy stages.
Collins:
Theo let me ask you a question: are there any prerequisites for individuals to sign up for the school? When do you plan to open for the first session? I believe that there will be a formal announcement in February, where I believe members of the media and local dignitaries will come together to kick off the official launch of the school.
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
That is the beauty of this training and school. All a person would need is a high school diploma or a GED. The FAA age requirement is 16 years old. The other requirement is that you have to be trainable, teachable, coachable and humble with this because it is a machine in the sky and you must have a thirst for learning. Those are the only prerequisites.
We expect to have a ribbon-cutting where we will announce the school. There will be an invitation sent out with anticipation of the training to start sometime in the spring of 2021.
Collins:
You have mentioned the prerequisites. What about those that are re-entering into society?
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
Unlike other places where the citizens that are re-entering society cannot get jobs, the FAA has not prevented us from teaching and employing people who are in this space. We are training disabled and handicapped citizens, as well as those reentering society. We can take anyone who wants to learn and get into this business.
Collins:
Once the school kicks off, there is tuition for this. For those that are interested, there are various funding sources available. Tell us what the tuition is and who are some of the outside funding sources?
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
1. The tuition for the Drone Technology Class is $7900.00 all in and it includes the $1900.00 drone and the 70-hour 10 Week course. We are also working on our Boot Camp Course which is 70 hours for 9 consecutive days.
2. The Virtual Reality class tuition is $3350.00 which includes a $500.00 camera package and the class is 21-hours over 3 weeks and we are looking at a Boot Camp for that as well.
3.Our Agriculture class is 15-hours for $2250.00. There is a great opportunity in agriculture.
We also have a deal with the Paramount Capital Group, which is a private funding company for education. The link can be found on our website. Some people write checks, and some pull from their 401K. We do not have a payment plan because the courses are too short. So, you can get out before you can make payments. However, every person’s situation is different, and we are open to talking to individuals.
Collins:
How can those individuals contact you or get more information on the school?
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
The easiest way to contact us is through our website. www.dwsdroneschool.com or www.droneworkforcesolutions.com and someone from the company will contact you.
Collins:
Can you tell us about any success stories of students who have completed the training course at your school?
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
I love talking about this part and people often ask me, “what kind of money you can make?” According to Goldman Sachs, the drone industry is a 100-billion-dollar industry.
Goldman Sachs has done the analysis for their ventured capitalist organizations and for wealthy family foundations. The virtual reality market is even bigger; it is up to 1.2 trillion dollars. There are jobs in the virtual realities market that are between $20.00 – $50.00 per hour and we do not have enough operators. In the drone space, I will give you two examples. Two of our students that graduated, one is making $10,500.00/month and the other is making $12,000.00/month doing utility inspections. Both of these students graduated from our school and both had a high school diploma when they came to us. That is one example. Another example is in real estate there are people making 100.00 per hour taking videos of houses in the real estate industry. To put this into perspective, if you did one house a day and assuming you do this for about 52 weeks, you will be making about $125,000 a year. If you did just two houses a day, you would be making $245,000 per year.
There are people making that and you will not see this on CNN or in People Magazine. This is what we are trying to bring to this community. We can show you 10 people who are making this kind of money, but you must believe that you can do it too. We are bringing this opportunity to Camden and giving you an opportunity to change your life transformationally, fundamentally and create generational wealth for your family.
It is a once-in-a-generation moment for the community to jump into this opportunity because it is a new industry, and you can make the most money at the beginning of technology and not five years later when everyone is jumping in.
Collins:
For those big businesses that may want to acquire your services, how can they reach you?
Ray Jones:
There are several ways to contact us
www.weseeyousecurity.co
www.dwsdroneschool.com
www.droneworksolutions.com
You can also reach out to us through the Anointed News Journal.
The initial classes will be held here in Camden at 116 N 2nd Street, Suite 208, Camden, NJ 08102. It is important to get in early. If social distancing requirements need to be met, we will hold multiple classes with about 15 students per class. As we grow, we may consider other locations. We feel that it is very important to have the school located here in Camden.
Again, this story is just a pre-release of an official press conference coming in February 2021. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, we expect to share information with the public and begin our registration process. If you want to get on our mailing list, please reach out to us.
Collins:
The Anointed News Journal has over 180,000 readers weekly. In conclusion, what do you want to say to the readers of the Anointed?
Ray Jones:
In closing, I just want to make sure the readers of the Anointed News Journal truly understand that this is an opportunity, especially during a time when our economy and country is turned upside down. We have found a way to partner together to bring something like this to our community, in particular to minorities and people of color. My information is www.weseeyousecurity.com. We are excited about this and want you to be excited about it too.
If tuition is a problem, you can look into several programs through Workforce Development. They do have funding opportunities and we will be working on other sources as well. Ten years from now when you look outside, and see drones, you do not want to be someone who is not participating in that technology.
Collins:
Theo do you have any last words?
Theophilus R. Nix, Jr.:
I actually have a biblical passage. The bible says that a man should provide for his children and his children’s children. And all that says from a biblical perspective is that you have to be wealthy, your children have to be wealthy and your grandchildren have to be wealthy. That is three generations of generational wealth. We believe that with this initiative, you can fulfill that biblical mandate of providing for your family.
Collins:
The nation’s premier faith-based and professional newspaper for winners, Anointed News Journal, salutes the team of Theophilus R. Nix, Jr. (DWS Drone School/Drone Workforce Solutions) and Ray Jones, Sr. (We See You Security), for their commitment to bringing quality education in drone technology and virtual reality technologies.
2021 DWS Drone School Projected Class Schedule
Winter Term
- Virtual Reality- February 20, 2021, To March 6, 2021
Spring Term
- Drone Class- March 13, 2021, To May 15, 2021
- Virtual Reality Class- May 22, 2021, To June 5, 2021
Summer Term
- Drone Class-June 12, 2021 To August 21, 2021
- Virtual Reality Class- August 28, 2021, To September 11, 2021
Fall Term
- Drone Class- September 18, 2021, To November 20, 2021
- Virtual Reality- December 4, 2021, To December 18, 2021
This is an exciting opportunity and a possible game-changer for many local residents that choose to take advantage of it. With all of the new development going on locally, drone and virtual reality technologies are expected to soar with no limits. We encourage you the readers of Anointed News Journal to get involved, if not for yourself, share this opportunity with a loved one. This might just be the life-changing opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
By Chris Collins
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