Building Tomorrow’s Engineers, Today: Inside ACEC’s Pipeline Project
The engineering profession has a talent problem: not enough young people are entering the field to replace the professionals who will eventually retire. The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is taking aim at that gap with a new initiative called the Pipeline Project.
What It Is
Led by the ACEC Workforce Committee, the Pipeline Project is a two-year effort built in partnership with the ACE Mentor Program of America — ACE stands for Architecture, Construction, Engineering, the three core disciplines of the design and construction industry. ACE is a nonprofit that has spent decades connecting high school and college students with working professionals in those fields through hands-on, project-based mentorship.
Rather than building something new, ACEC is scaling up ACE’s existing network of local mentorship chapters using its own national reach — all 51 state and regional member organizations across the country. The goal is an initiative that’s national in scale, local in impact, and measurable from day one.
Why Mentorship Is the Strategy
Research consistently shows that students who are mentored in high school and college are far more likely to pursue and stick with engineering degrees. For an industry facing a widening skills gap, getting students invested in the profession before they even apply to college is a practical way to increase the number of engineers entering the market.
How It Works
The initiative follows a straightforward four-step model:
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Member Organizations commit. ACEC’s state and regional Member Organizations opt into the initiative, linking their member firms to ACE’s regional infrastructure.
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Firms engage locally. Engineering firms connect with existing ACE chapters in their area — offering mentors, sponsorships, and hands-on involvement — or help start new chapters where none exist yet.
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Students benefit. High schoolers gain direct access to engineering professionals, real-world projects, and a professional community that can carry them into a career.
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Progress is tracked. ACE and ACEC jointly monitor chapter growth, mentorship participation, and firm involvement at the state and national level, building in accountability rather than just good intentions.
Room for Every Organization
Participation is flexible. Firms brand-new to ACE can start small — sponsoring a chapter or sending a first-time mentor — while firms already deeply involved with a local chapter can take on a bigger leadership role. There’s no single required path, just a menu of options depending on where an organization is starting from.
Getting Involved
Firms, state organizations, or individuals interested in participating can connect with ACE Mentor’s regional directors or ACEC’s Director of Workforce Development.
Connect directly with ACE Mentor Regional Directors:
Jack Whalen (South)
Julie Andor (Northeast)
Alison Iles (West)
Questions on the ACEC Pipeline Project, contact Molly Tuttle – ACEC’s Director of Workforce Development.
Want more information? Please download the pipeline project one-sheeter or visit the Pipeline Project webpage.
