Editorial
Front Page - Friday, November 6, 2009
ACE Mentor Program fostering the builders of tomorrow
David Laprad
As high school seniors begin to consider their options after graduation, many are looking at the tightest job market since the ‘80s and throwing up their arms in frustration. Those who are thinking about pursuing careers in design and construction, however, might be interested in knowing that the building industry says it won’t have enough architects, engineers and builders to meet the demand for those services in 10 years.
The ACE Mentor Program is working to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“ACE” is an acronym for architecture, construction and engineering. The goal of the nonprofit organization is to increase awareness among high school students of career opportunities in these fields through an innovative program in which industry professionals volunteer to become mentors to students in order to encourage them to pursue careers in these fields.
“We’re trying to increase awareness among high school students,” says Brittany Scott, board member of the Chattanooga division of ACE and marketing director at Advanced Energy Engineering & Design. “Those who are taking math and science classes are already leaning in that direction.”
Each ACE division has its own board of directors, a local coordinator and several teams. Chattanooga has three teams, each comprised of about 15 students from various Hamilton County high schools and four mentors, including architects, engineers, construction managers and building owners. The mentors guide the students through the process of creating a project, introducing them to the careers, industry vocabulary and various roles companies play.
Scott says her team will have the chance to benefit from discussions with an architectural firm, and engineering firm, a building contractor and a building owner. They’ll also meet with the local planning commission to discuss zoning.
“The cool thing about the ACE Mentor Program is it mirrors how things work in the real world,” says Linda Allen, local board member and architect at Unum. “Students not only learn about architecture, engineering and construction, but also about who owns what, who’s the boss and what it’s like to be a consultant.”
The program also gives students a chance to apply what they learned in class and improve their skills in several core areas of study.
“They learn more about math while doing cost estimates, they learn more about English while putting together presentations, they learn about the business side of the building industry and they learn how to listen to each other and work as a team,” Allen says.
The group Scott is overseeing is thinking about designing tiny homes, miniature houses that are all the rage on the West Coast but relatively new to the East Coast.
“Each home is less than 900 square feet. We’re talking a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen,” says Scott. “The kids are excited about the prospect of designing them, so our project leader is looking at a stretch of Southside property. We’re going to get the specs for it and possibly have teams of two students each design one home.”
Allen says ACE gives students an edge as they move through secondary school and into the job market.
“When our students go off to college or a trade school, they’re more prepared than their counterparts because of the experience they gained,” Allen says.
Scott says students in the local program are looking forward to including their participation in ACE on their college applications. They’re also hoping to secure scholarship money and get a foot in the door at a company or two for an internship.
Phillip Sutherland, an electrical engineer intern at AEED, an engineering consulting firm in Chattanooga, says his participation in an ACE program in Nashville, Tenn., steered him toward what he’s doing today.
“Growing up, I knew I wanted to do something in construction,” he says. “I enjoyed building things. During my last year in high school, they offered the ACE Mentor Program. It was a good experience and a great opportunity.”
At the end of each school year, special events are held for students and families, as well as mentors, sponsors and the faculty of several area universities. During these events, teams present their projects using AutoCAD drawings, models and construction schedules.
In addition to acquiring new knowledge and skills, and gaining contacts that can help with college admissions, internships and employment, students are eligible for ACE scholarships. While the national program will be making scholarship money available to the Chattanooga division, Allen says local building industry sponsors are needed the support the scholarships as well.
“Through sponsorship, you’ll be contributing to workforce development efforts and helping today’s most promising young people gain a firsthand experience of the dynamic career potential our industry offers while fostering their work ethic and skills,” reads the ACE Web site at www.acementor.org.
To inquire about becoming a sponsor, contact Scott at 423-752-3438.
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