Convention Board Urged to Embrace: “Exciting Time to Be an Engineer”

May 22, 2022

Convention Board Urged to Embrace: “Exciting Time to Be an Engineer”

During her report Sunday before the Council Board of Directors, ACEC President and CEO Linda Bauer Darr was thrilled about anticipated robust times ahead for the industry.

“2021 was the best year ever in our industry’s history,” she said. “We were already seeing new projects move forward before the (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) IIJA.”

“This unprecedented investment should keep our firms busy for quite a while.”

She cautioned, however, that significant growth in engineering demand will not come without challenges for member firms.

“The Priority for IIJA is now implementation,” Darr emphasized, while adding that the boost in investment is expected to create 82,000 new engineering jobs—jobs that must be filled.

“It’s a tough time to hire engineers and a tough time to retain,’’ she said. “Our ability or inability to fill those job will determine whether IIJA succeeds.”

 

 

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