Engineering Inc. - November/December 2007 - 2

FRom aCEC To YoU engineeringInc. THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES CHaIRmaN PRESIdENT & CEo vICE PRESIdENT, oPERaTIoNS vICE PRESIdENT, GovERNmENT aFFaIRS vICE PRESIdENT, INSTITUTE FoR bUSINESS maNaGEmENT CHIEF maRkETING/ CommUNICaTIoNS oFFICER dIRECToR, CommUNICaTIoNS and mEdIa STaFF EdIToR Education Incentive Legislation To Address Engineer Shortage A major initiative to address the engineer shortage was undertaken with the introduction of House legislation that would create new federal education incentives to encourage more young people to enter the engineering profession. The new Strategic Technology/Engineering Program (STEP) Act of 2007 was introduced by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) and developed in consultation with ACEC. The legislation provides for a scholarship program for students pursuing an engineering degree and loan forgiveness for graduates who are employed as engineers and working toward their P.E. license. Such a program is critical as the industry faces the combination of fewer college graduates in engineering and the anticipated retirement of more than 25 percent of the science and engineering workforce in the next 15 years. ACEC members should do all they can to help build support for this important initiative including contacting their member of Congress. This issue of Engineering Inc. looks at how recruitment and retention efforts are being affected by the engineer shortage, including what role the industry’s salary structure plays in this equation. You will also be interested in the effort of the National Academy Foundation to open 13 new engineering academies in high schools nationwide to encourage more students to pursue engineering careers. As a partnership between business leaders and educators, NAF runs 529 special training centers or “schools within schools” throughout the nation focusing on special areas such as finance, hospitality and tourism, information technology, and now engineering. This engineering academy initiative already has received significant financial backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Orrin B. MacMurray David A. Raymond Mary Ann Emely Steven Hall Jeffrey L. Beard Richard A. Belle Alan D. Crockett Andrea Keeney akeeney@acec.org (202) 682-4347 ACEC PUBLIC RELATIONS AND EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE CHaIRmaN Edward J. Mulcahy THE MAGAzINE GROUP EdIToRIaL dIRECToR Thomas Halligan Corey Murray aRT dIRECToRS Jeff Kibler, Melissa Hamid PRoJECT maNaGER Mary Mieszczanski maNaGING EdIToR ADVERTISING SALES Nina Goldman Assistant Director, Advertising & Sales ACEC 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Floor Washington, D.C. 20005-2605 (202) 347-7474 ngoldman@acec.org Engineering Inc., Volume 18, Number 6 (ISSN 1539-2694), is published bi-monthly by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005-2605. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscriptions are $24 for members (included in dues as a non-deductible amount); $45 for U.S. non-members; $65 for institutional subscriptions. Back issues are $15. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Engineering Inc., c/o ACEC, 1015 15th Street NW, 8th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005-2605. © 2007 American Council of Engineering Companies. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied, downloaded from the ACEC website, stored in electronic or hard-copy format, and disseminated to third parties for educational and information purposes. ACEC expressly disclaims any liability for damages of any kind in connection with such copying, downloading, storage, and/or dissemination. By copying, downloading, storing and/or disseminating this publication, the recipient of this publication expressly agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold ACEC, its officers, directors, employees, volunteers and agents harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, claims, causes of action and liabilities, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, arising out of or resulting from the recipient’s use of this publication. Notwithstanding the above, no part of this publication may be altered, resold, licensed, or used for any other commercial purposes without the prior written permission of ACEC. Recipients may opt out of receiving the electronic version of this publication from ACEC by sending an e-mail with the subject line “Unsubscribe” to ACEC at magazine@acec.org. For more current news on ACEC issues and developments, subscribe to the weekly electronic newsletter, Last Word. To subscribe, contact abrandstadter@ acec.org. For members without electronic access, a fax-on-demand version is available. Contact Ann Brandstadter for information at 202-682-4333. Orrin B. MacMurray ACEC Chairman David A. Raymond ACEC President & CEO WWW.aC EC .o RG 2 ENGINEERING INC. NovEmbER / dECEmbER 2007

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Engineering Inc. - November/December 2007

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