ACEC report identifies opportunities for improving diversity for engineering firms

The ACEC Research Institute recently released a Diversity Roadmap presenting the state of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) in the engineering industry.

The document also identifies opportunities for improvement as firms work toward their DEI&B goals. The report “offers engineering firm executives a comprehensive, data-driven tool that assesses the maturity of a firm’s DEIB program and provides actionable suggestions on how firms can make further progress,” according to a news release.

Most ACEC member firms are early in their DEIB journeys with 80% scored as “Aspiring”. “The robust participation signals both a willingness and an appetite for creating diverse workspaces,” the release says.

Firm leaders show significant support for DEIB issues, with the majority of responding firms having a CEO or president who articulates a commitment to these issues (68% saying always or often).  

Participating firms were asked a series of questions about their practices and policies in a variety of areas: Workplace, Workforce, Marketplace, and Supplier/Community. Their answers to these individual areas were scored, then aggregated to produce a final score.