On February 24, 2026, the Engineering Workforce Consortium (EWC) announced that the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) joined the collaborative effort to address the critical workforce shortage facing infrastructure development across the United States.
NOCoE’ s addition to the consortium significantly expands EWC's reach into state departments of transportation, connecting the consortium's workforce recruitment and retention initiatives directly with NOCoE stakeholder agencies. There is currently an unprecedented demand for engineering talent and the EWC brings together 20 leading professional societies, trade associations, and academic institutions around 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.
“NOCoE is pleased to sign on to the Engineering Workforce Consortium to help inform audiences on workforce development opportunities as this is an important component for the nation’s transportation, systems, management and operations industry including the education of students on careers and increasing the skills of the current workforce,” said Nevada Department of Transportation Director and NOCoE Strategic Advisory Council Tracy Larkin Thomason.”
“Communities cannot maintain, modernize, and strengthen infrastructure without a skilled and sustainable workforce,” said APWA CEO Scott D. Grayson, CAE. “The addition of NOCoE to the Engineering Workforce Consortium reinforces our shared commitment to addressing workforce challenges head-on. Together, we are advancing practical solutions that ensure public works and engineering professionals are prepared to meet the growing demands of our nation’s infrastructure.”
"The American Society of Civil Engineers is thrilled to welcome the National Operations Center of Excellence into the Engineering Workforce Consortium. Their leadership in shaping the nation’s transportation systems brings powerful momentum to this shared mission," said Marsha Anderson Bomar, Ph.D., ASCE president. "Together, we have an opportunity to inspire the next generation of engineers, expand pathways into the profession, and take bold, coordinated action to strengthen the workforce that builds and sustains our communities. By uniting our expertise and our voices, we can accelerate real change and ensure a vibrant, resilient engineering profession for decades to come.”
The workforce shortage has delayed critical infrastructure projects and limited the impact of historic federal infrastructure investments. The Engineering Workforce Consortium represents an unprecedented collaboration to ensure communities have the engineering talent needed to build and maintain essential infrastructure.
For more information about the Engineering Workforce Consortium, visit engineeringworkforce.org.
About the Engineering Workforce Consortium
The Engineering Workforce Consortium is a collaborative effort led by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), American Public Works Association (APWA), and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to address the critical workforce shortage in engineering and public works. The consortium brings together diverse voices from government, industry, and academia to attract, retain, and grow the engineering workforce. EWC partner groups include:
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
American Public Works Association (APWA)
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ACE Mentor
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
DiscoverE
ElevateHER
Engineers Without Borders USA
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE USA)
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
National Academy of Construction
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)
Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Training and Technical Assistance Center at the University of Connecticut
About the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)
The National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) provides a centralized and comprehensive set of resources to serve the Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) community. The NOCoE is a collaborative effort of AASHTO, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), with support from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).