The Future of AIA

The American Institute of Architects recognizes the success of Emerging Professionals as vital to the future of the organization, profession, and the communities we serve.
View The Emerging Professional’s Companion Guide

Impact the positive evolution of the profession: Prioritization

Prioritize the goals of the rising generation and advocate for changes to strengthen the profession that emerging professionals will inherit.

Cultivate opportunities for leadership & career development: Assistance

Assist emerging professionals as they transition from school to firms, and then to leadership positions within firms, communities, and the profession at large.

Engage the next generation of architects: Breadth

Broaden the reach of the AIA to welcome new professionals, alternative career path professionals, and anyone with an architecture background or interest in the architectural profession.

Opportunities for Leadership & Career Development

The Center for Emerging Professionals coordinates and supports several Emerging Professional committees. To assist the transition of volunteers new to AIA National leadership opportunities, the Center is developing a volunteer handbook to enhance member experiences with committee service. The handbook is currently in a beta version for further input by the NAC and YAF in early 2015. Much of the strategic volunteering content for the guidelines has been presented at AIA Convention, at AIA Components, and via a CACE webinar.

The Council of Emerging Professionals (CEP) was created as a result of the creation of the Emerging Professionals strategic initiative. The leadership of the Council consists of AIAS, the National Associates Committee, and Young Architects Forum leaders. The Council was instrumental in the development of the content focus areas for the 2014 Emerging Professionals Summit. The desire for Emerging Professionals leaders to work together led to the historic joint leadership transition meeting of the National Associates Committee and Young Architects Forum in October.

The National Associates Committee (NAC), which offers mentorship opportunities to Associate AIA members and focus on the path to licensure, and the Young Architects Forum (YAF), which focuses on career advancement for all young architects, are vitally important groups that are active and dynamic voices in the conversation about architecture’s future. In early October, the NAC and YAF held a Joint Transition Meeting for the first time. This historic meeting was an opportunity for the groups to recognize synergies in their current work and focus areas, as well as define opportunities to collaborate in 2015.

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