The Pipeline Project
A two-year national initiative led by the ACEC Workforce Committee to grow the engineering talent pipeline, built in partnership with ACE Mentor Program — a nationally recognized nonprofit that connects high schoolers and college students with architecture, construction, and engineering professionals.
ABOUT THE INITIATIVE
Building the engineering workforce starts here.
The engineering profession faces a generational workforce challenge. The talent needed to design, build, and sustain America's infrastructure must be recruited, mentored, and retained — and that work begins long before a student enters the workforce.
The Pipeline Project is just one piece of ACEC’s commitment to meet this challenge. Led by the ACEC Workforce Committee and built on the proven model of the ACE Mentor Program of America, this initiative mobilizes ACEC's national network — all 51 state and regional member organizations — to expand mentorship chapter presence across the country and connect the industry's resources to the students who need them most.
National in scale. Local in impact. Trackable and measurable from day one.
ACEC Affiliate Programs & Regions
Find an ACE affiliate program near you to learn how to get involved.
WHY IT MATTERS
Mentorship works. The research is clear.
Mentoring students at the high school and college level is proven to keep them on track to enter — and remain in — the engineering field. This is not a feel-good program. It is a talent strategy with measurable outcomes, and the engineering industry has both the motivation and the means to lead it.
HOW IT WORKS
A clear path from commitment to impact.
Step 1 — Member organizations commit
ACEC state and regional member organizations join the initiative, connecting their member firms to the Pipeline Project framework and their ACE regional partners.
Step 2 — Firms engage with ACE locally
Member firms connect with existing ACE Mentor chapters in their area — providing mentors, sponsorships, and professional engagement — or help establish new chapters where none yet exist.
Step 3 — Students benefit and stay in the field
High school students gain direct access to engineering professionals, real-world projects, and the professional community that will sustain their career. Mentored students are more likely to pursue and complete engineering degrees.
Step 4 — Progress is tracked nationally
ACE and ACEC measures and reports on chapter growth, mentorship participation, and firm involvement at both the state and national level — creating accountability and celebrating momentum.
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
There is a role for every organization.
Participation in The Pipeline Project is flexible. Whether your organization is new to ACE or already deeply engaged, there is a meaningful way to be part of this national effort and move the needle to help build the pipeline of engineers.
OUR PARTNER
About ACE Mentor Program of America
The ACE Mentor Program of America is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging, exciting, and enlightening high school students to pursue careers in architecture, construction, and engineering through mentoring and to support their continued advancement in the industry.
ACE operates through a network of local affiliate chapters across the United States, each connecting students with professionals for hands-on, project-based mentorship experiences. The Pipeline Project is built on this proven infrastructure — expanding it through ACEC's national network.
GET STARTED
Ready to get involved?
Whether you represent a member firm, a state organization, or an individual interested in learning more, let's talk.
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.