Mentor Program Raises Minority Enrollment In Architecture, Construction And Engineering

STAMFORD, Conn.--The ACE (Architecture, Construction and Engineering) Mentor Program released findings from a groundbreaking research study, conducted to quantify its impact to date. The research indicates that ACE is not only accomplishing its mission of “engaging, exciting, and enlightening high school students to pursue careers in architecture, construction, and engineering”, it’s also achieving additional results, including increasing high school graduation rates, and diversification in the architecture, construction, and engineering industries.

“engaging, exciting, and enlightening high school students to pursue careers in architecture, construction, and engineering”

Key highlights of the research, conduced via a survey in January 2010, include:

• ACE participants graduate high school at a higher rate than their non-ACE counterparts (97% versus the 73.4% national graduation rate for 2009).
• ACE participants attend college at a higher rate than their non-ACE counterparts (94% versus the 68% national college enrollment rate for 2009).
• Female ACE participants enter college engineering programs at double the national rate of their non-ACE counterparts (29% versus 15%, respectively).
• More minorities are enrolled in ACE than other after-school programs as a whole (61% versus the 40% national average)
• More low-income students are enrolled in ACE than other after-school programs as a whole (59% versus the 41% national average)
• Nearly 10% of all college freshmen who intended to enroll in architecture programs in 2009 were ACE alumni.
• Of freshmen majoring in Architecture, the minority mix (African-American, Hispanic, and Asian) of the ACE students was 2 – 4 times greater than for the national average (which was 70% Caucasian).
• Nearly 4 times more Hispanic ACE alumni enter civil, mechanical and electrical engineering programs than their non-ACE counterparts---nearly 3 times more African American ACE alumni enter those fields than their non-ACE counterparts.

“The results of the ACE Mentor Program’s landmark research reveal that the Program has been achieving tremendous success on a number of fronts and has had significant impact in the lives of young people and important populations within our country,” commented Pamela R. Mullender, President and CEO of the ACE Mentor Program. “Given that the construction industry is the backbone of this country---the largest employer in the U.S.---and that ACE includes two of the fields that rank among the top 10 paying jobs for students out of college, and four of the fields that rank among the top 8 paying jobs that do not require a degree, one can conclude that, as the Program continues to grow, it will have an increasingly positive impact on vital American industries and life within the U.S.”

To download a full copy of the ACE Mentor Program survey, please visit: http://www.emcorgroup.com/ACE/ACEbrochureFinal.pdf

About ACE Mentor Program of America

The ACE Mentor Program is the fastest-growing high school mentoring program focusing on careers in the design/build industry. It was founded by the principals of leading design and construction firms, to introduce high school students to career opportunities in the industry. The mission of the organization is to engage, excite and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in the design/build construction industry through mentoring, and to support their continued advancement in the industry through scholarships and grants. ACE especially focuses on reaching students who otherwise may not become aware of the challenges and rewards of a career in the design and construction industry. For additional information please visit www.acementor.org.