🌆 ACE Club Digest - Mind the (talent) gap

Hey there,

You're invited to our November meetup! Read on for more information, plus a deep dive into the construction talent gap and a profile of a Passive House standard development with 700 low income units in East Harlem.

See you next week!

You’re invited to our November meet-up! Come grab a brew and connect with someone new.

Wednesday, November 20 - @ Stout Bryant Park at 5:30pm.

Share the invite below with colleagues and friends that may be interested!

Mind the (talent) gap

In case you missed it, Procore recently launched a podcast that we’re big fans of. Go give them a listen if you haven’t yet.

One of the themes that comes up in the first two episodes is the construction industry’s challenges with talent development over the last several years.

Between a scarcity of middle-career construction talent and a generation of veteran pros transitioning into retirement, you might think the industry would be investing heavily in elevating younger talent. In reality, young construction professionals often don’t receive the support they need to learn and thrive.

There are many reasons for this — lack of budget, fear of investing in workers who will leave for greener pastures, a cultural resistance to change — but the result is the same. 90% of all projects last year were either delivered late or over budget.

I was initially shocked to learn that despite steady revenue growth and record project backlog, construction margins have actually compressed. But now it makes a lot more sense. A confluence of aging experts, weak talent pipeline, and minimal investment in workforce training are leaving firms totally unprepared to scale their operations.

This talent gap is driving down AEC productivity and shows no sign of stopping. The good news is that organizations like Associated General Contractors (AGC) and ELECTRI International are both focused on understanding the status quo problems in construction.

Where others see barriers, we at ACE Club see opportunity

We’re attacking this challenge head-on by:

• Bringing design, construction and engineering minds together to build relationships and break knowledge out of traditional silos

• Empowering early career professionals with educational development resources

• Highlighting the work of next-generation AEC pros who are building the future of the greater New York region

We’re excited to continue learning from Procore’s meeting of the forward-thinking-eager-hopeful-minds and we hope to have these conversations with all of you to make the ACE industry better.

To support this endeavor, please subscribe, share and participate in what we’re building

🏗️ Project of the week

Sendero Verde (East Harlem, New York)

• Development Team:

  • Developers: L&M Development Partners Inc., Jonathan Rose Companies Inc, Acacia Real Estate Development

  • Design: Handel Architects LLP

• Project Overview: Sendero Verde includes 700 low income housing units, a school, and community spaces that all meet Passive House energy efficiency standards.

• Why it’s interesting: The project is considered the Nation’s Biggest Ultra-Green Development Yet.

📰 Our favorite articles & podcasts

Articles

• (Link) KPF’s latest New York high-rise will stand as the tallest mixed-use building on Fifth Avenue Designed by KPF and built by Suffolk Construction, the 88-story 520 Fifth Avenue tower includes 100 luxury residences and 25 full-floor offices with views of the NYC skyline.

• (Link) The Wall Street Journal Passive House, design standards often associated with energy efficiency, has also been seen to increase resiliency during natural disasters.

• (Link) Brick Underground, NYC launches interactive map of roughly 2,500 streets named for famed New Yorkers Grab a friend and take a tour of your neighborhood to find streets named for Big Apple’s celebs.

• (Link) My career success started with an apprenticeship - New Jersey ironworker and business leader Joseph Merlino says that young people need more paths to the trades.

Podcasts

• (Link) The Power of Construction - Can modern leadership styles accelerate the construction industry?

Please spread the word

Help us spread the word by sharing the newsletter and the November event with friends and colleagues!

We value your feedback! Feel free to reply to this email.

Until next time,

Emma & Sawyer