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 Dear Director Jaddou: 

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) – the national voice of America’s engineering industry – would like to share our comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding modernization of the H-1B visa program. 

Founded in 1906, ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations representing more than 5,500 engineering firms and nearly 600,000 engineers, surveyors, architects, and other specialists nationwide. ACEC member firms drive the design of America’s infrastructure and built environment. 

Engineering firms need access to talented, highly skilled workers. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the engineering workforce is already at full employment. The ACEC Research Institute’s analysis of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) finds that we will need an additional 82,000 engineers and other professionals to deliver the projects funded under the new program. The Institute also highlighted concerns about capacity in a recent quarterly engineering business sentiment study when it reported that half of firms have turned down work specifically due to workforce shortages. 

ACEC supports policies that grow the pool of engineers, such as expanded STEM education programs that are a long-term solution to the workforce needs of engineering firms. At the same time, we need to align the nation’s immigration policies in a way that will enable firms to hire global talent when the pool of engineering graduates is not sufficient to meet growing demand. 

Download the letter to read more.

Resource Type

ACEC Publication, Letter

Topic Area

Advocacy, Advocacy Priorities, Workforce Development

Date

December 19, 2023

Resource Link

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