ACEC’s Coalitions hosted their first Virtual Summer Education Series. With roundtables and education sessions dedicated to specialized interests, this series was complimentary for all Coalition members and offered them the opportunity to earn personal development hours and meet on pressing topics.
Kicking off the first half-day of this series with an advocacy update, attendees progressed to a timely session on “Unconscious Bias in Today’s Workplace.†Day two of the series featured an update from ACEC leadership, Chairman Charlie Gozdziewski and President and CEO Linda Bauer Darr. The morning closed with Coalitions-specific roundtable discussions on project designs/teams/specifications, digital signatures, 3D design and deliverables, and data integrity. The final set of breakout sessions featured risk management and business practices, including BIM360 usage and contract language with industry experts.
Questions about the Coalitions can be directed to Heather Talbert, ACEC’s director of Coalitions, at htalbert@acec.org.
As firm leaders focus on managing output, operations, and the bottom line, it becomes increasingly difficult for project engineers to identify how they can be most productive and remain indispensable, particularly if they are working remotely.
Recognizing these unique challenges, ACEC has initiated a series of education sessions focused on helping young professionals navigate remote work and personal development. Featuring roundtables, presentations, and open discussion, this series aims to help junior employees adapt to shifting client needs, capitalize on their role, communicate with firm leadership, and contribute to the new goals of the firm.
ACEC Education has also launched the Young Professionals Online Community. The forum will feature virtual discussions, resources, and recordings of past education series. Those looking to connect with other early career engineers can contact Katie Goodman, director of leadership programs, at kgoodman@acec.org.
Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, a global investment management firm, described in his open letter to CEOs how “a diverse mix of genders, ethnicities, career experiences, and ways of thinking have, as a result, a more diverse and aware mindset. They are less likely to succumb to groupthink or miss new threats to a company’s business model. And they are better able to identify opportunities that promote long-term growth.â€
With this in mind, ACEC launched a new series on inclusion and diversity (I&D). Featuring a roundtable and two virtual presentations, the series allowed participants to engage in a discussion of lessons learned and best practices surrounding I&D programs, including overcoming blind spots and biases and evolving leadership development to foster lasting positive change to firm culture.
ACEC has created a resource page dedicated to inclusion and diversity that hosts information on these past recorded webinars as well as upcoming I&D education opportunities and newly released reports and articles. To view the webpage, go to https://programs.acec.org/inclusion-and-diversity.
The Design Professionals Coalition Diversity & Inclusion Working Group also released a summary report to help ACEC firms create more inclusive environments. A free copy of the report is available at https://bit.ly/dpc-diwg-report.