Opportunity+ is a free civil engineering career training program that opens up career opportunities for underrepresented persons in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC)  industry.

March 30, 2023

Design and consulting firm WSB announced today that the company’s fourth Opportunity+ class graduated 11 participants this month – the largest class to date. Opportunity+ is a workforce training and development program designed to prepare participants for long-term careers in the civil engineering industry.

“We build the places, spaces and systems that shape our world, and it’s so exciting to help program participants pursue careers in the exciting field of civil engineering,” said Bret Weiss, WSB’s president and CEO. “As we strive to build a workforce that accurately reflects the communities we serve, I’m proud to see the largest Opportunity+ cohort to date graduate. What’s more, this year, we placed a special emphasis on recruiting veterans to our program and helping translate their meaningful skills into training for a career in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.”

The Opportunity+ program prioritizes training a diverse participant pool to ensure every person has the opportunity for advancement in engineering. In the past, the program has focused on recruiting women and people of color. While still a major focus, this year, the program put an emphasis on recruitment efforts in the veteran community, with 56% of this year’s class identifying as veterans.

Over the course of January to April, program participants underwent intensive training through evening and weekend sessions designed to provide hands-on experience. The program’s flexible schedule enables participants to continue their daytime employment while completing the training. As a result of Opportunity+, participants are now fully equipped with the necessary skills to pursue a career as engineering technicians, a versatile position within the civil engineering industry that can lead to many different career paths.

WSB would like to thank its hiring partners from other companies and firms for allowing participants to be exposed to a well-rounded understanding of the industry and broadening their hiring options. Hiring partners include Westwood Professional Services, GeoWall Designs, Frattalone Companies, Hennepin County, James R. Hill, Inc., and the city of Saint Paul.

January 25, 2023

The targeted workforce training and development program aims to diversify the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Industry. 

Design and consulting firm WSB today announced that the company has launched its fourth Opportunity+ cohort. Opportunity+ is a workforce training and development program designed to prepare participants for long-term careers in the civil engineering industry. The program, first launched in January 2020, is a free and fast-paced training course led by experts from throughout the AEC industry. This year’s cohort has 17 participants enrolled.  

From January through March, program participants will receive accelerated training through evening sessions. The flexible schedule allows participants to continue working during the day while completing the hands-on program. Upon completion of the program, participants will be prepared for careers as engineering technicians, survey crew members, construction materials technicians and site inspectors – all high-demand positions in civil engineering.  

“This is our largest cohort to date, and I’m thrilled that we’re making real progress in building opportunities for all people interested in civil engineering,” said Bret Weiss, WSB’s president and CEO. “We are committed to actionable change and to diversifying our industry. While many companies have a focus on diversity and inclusion, we’re creating real opportunity and it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch our participants build their careers both inside the walls of WSB and with our partners.” 

In 2023, Opportunity+ expanded recruitment efforts into the veteran community with 56% of this year’s cohort identifying as veterans. The veteran community is another untapped talent market with a diverse population. Many veterans have skills that lend themselves well to civil engineering careers.  

New this year is the addition of Opportunity+ hiring partners including Frattalone Companies, a construction firm specializing in civil site construction, James R. Hill, Inc., a full-service land development consulting firm, GeoWall Designs LLC, a retaining wall design company and Westwood Professional Services, a multi-disciplined land surveying and engineering company.  Expanding and growing the program outside of WSB has been a long-term goal.  In its fourth year, the program’s curriculum was at a place where it made sense to expand its reach across the industry to broaden hiring options for participants.  

“Joining Opportunity+ as a hiring partner made complete sense,” said Nick Frattalone, Frattalone Companies’ Chief Executive Officer. “In today’s labor market, finding skilled workers is a challenge across our industry. The types of skills that are learned through the program are not only relevant to supporting our business operations, but also represent our commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts.” 

Since the program’s inception, 17 participants have graduated. Opportunity+ was built to provide a pathway into the AEC industry for those that are generally underrepresented in it, specifically women and people of color. The intent of the program is to reduce and remove some of the barriers to a successful career in civil engineering.  

“The current demand for civil engineering technicians far exceeds the available talent, and many qualified candidates don’t have the time or resources to complete formal education in this field,” said Julie Thiel, WSB’s vice president of human resources. “This year, we expanded our recruiting efforts and felt strongly about welcoming more partners into the fold. Building a more diverse workforce is not just one firm’s responsibility, but rather our entire industry’s and I’m looking forward to the future of this fast-growing program.” 

Opportunity+ officially launched on January 24. The intent is to connect every cohort participant interested in pursuing a career in the industry to full-time positions following the program. They will be invited to interview for open positions with WSB and its hiring partners that can lead to greater responsibility and lifelong careers.