Message from ACEC President & CEO Linda Bauer Darr

We're excited to share information from ACEC National President & CEO Linda Bauer Darr on exciting things that ACEC National is working on:

"To the ACEC Community, 
 
In last week’s letter, I wrote about ACEC’s Energy and Technology committees and how critical the work of our committees is to the Council and, in turn, our firms. I hope that my message piqued your interest and spurred you to check out our committee roster. Wherever your interests lie, there are so many opportunities for you to engage and lend your skills and experience to issues that will form the foundation of our industry’s future. 
 
Addressing the Workforce Challenge 
Ask any group of firm leaders what most concerns them about the future of our industry, and the workforce shortage will likely place at or near the top. It is that widespread concern that led to our forming ACEC’s Workforce Committee. Since its launch nearly a year ago, the Committee’s leadership has organized our workforce effort around three core areas – recruitment, retention, and advocacy – with programs going forward that seek to enhance how we talk to young people about engineering careers, strategies for keeping talent once they come into the industry, and advocacy initiatives – such as immigration reforms – to expand the talent pipeline.  
 
Technology will play an outsized role in the firm of the future, and will no doubt be a driver in attracting a future workforce that knows AI and other emerging technologies. 
 
ACEC is addressing these issues head-on both through the Workforce Committee itself, and a larger, industry-based Engineering Workforce Consortium involving the nation’s major engineering organizations to leverage a comprehensive approach to solve the workforce challenge.  I invite you to be a part of the effort. To join the Workforce Committee click here. 
 
Staying Ahead of the Curve with Market Intelligence 
We recently launched the Market Intelligence Committee (MIC) to focus on analyzing and interpreting key market trends in both the public and private sector. This committee expands the scope of our Market Intelligence team by delivering to our members curated and timely content on issues that affect the engineering industry. Part advisory council, part content aggregator, the Committee will serve as a resource to guide direction, topics, and speakers for ACEC programming, and will function as eyes and ears by peering around corners, keeping apprised of trends, and reporting back to our members. This is a service that will enable firms to identify new opportunities and adapt strategies that meet constantly evolving market demands.  
 
It’s the talk of every conference and happy hour: the market landscape is becoming less recognizable with each passing year. There is a lot of change, and it’s the role of the Market Intelligence Committee to help our firms to prepare for it. This is a committee still in its infancy, and there is a great opportunity for new members to help build and guide what is certain to become an invaluable resource for our firms. To join the Market Intelligence Committee, click here."