AASHTO joins nationwide engineering workforce development group

To address the workforce shortage in U.S. infrastructure development, the prime association of highway and transportation officials has joined a nationwide workforce consortium for engineers. State transportation departments will have a greater connection to government agencies responsible for funding recruitment and retention as well as the consortium’s shared resources for workforce development, officials said.

The Engineering Workforce Consortium, a joint effort of different engineering associations to expand the STEM workforce, announced the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and its National Operations Center of Excellence have joined the initiative.

AASHTO’s addition to the consortium will significantly expand EWC’s reach into state departments of transportation and connect the consortium’s workforce recruitment and retention initiatives with agencies responsible for implementing billions of dollars in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, EWC officials said.

State departments of transportation across the country are facing unprecedented demand for engineering talent as they work to deliver vital infrastructure projects, officials added.

“AASHTO is pleased to join the partners of the Engineering Workforce Consortium in supporting an industry-wide approach to providing solutions that address the transportation and public works workforce shortage,” said Jim Tymon, executive director at AASHTO, in a statement. “State departments of transportation recognize the need to collaborate with other leaders in the engineering field to foster the talent we need to deliver critical transportation projects.”

The EWC brings together 20 leading professional societies, trade associations and academic institutions, including the American Council of Engineering Companies, the American Public Works Association, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The group has three core objectives: attracting the next generation of engineering talent, retaining the existing workforce in engineering and public works and advocating for industry growth and sustainability, officials said.

“AASHTO’s decision to join the Engineering Workforce Consortium reflects the growing momentum behind this collaborative approach to solving our industry’s workforce challenges,” said Linda Bauer Darr, president and CEO of ACEC, in a statement. “Welcoming AASHTO brings state transportation leadership directly into our coalition, ensuring that workforce solutions are developed with the agencies who are on the front lines of infrastructure delivery. The collective strength of this consortium is essential as we work to ensure the engineering talent pipeline meets the historic infrastructure investment our nation is making.”

AASHTO’s network of state transportation departments will be connected with EWC’s workforce initiatives, from K-12 STEM engagement programs to retention initiatives like RetainHER, which focuses on keeping women in engineering careers, officials said.

State DOTs will gain access to best practices, collaborative resources and a unified platform to address shared workforce challenges, officials added.

“The workforce shortage has delayed critical infrastructure projects and limited the impact of historic federal infrastructure investments,” EWC officials said. “The Engineering Workforce Consortium represents an unprecedented collaboration to ensure communities have the engineering talent needed to build and maintain essential infrastructure.”