April 2020 Update

The AOBA Educational Foundation will not be administering an internship program in 2020. After careful reflection, the AEF Board of Directors decided to suspend the program before COVID-19 was part of our daily lives; and delivering such a program in 2020 is now impossible. AEF will reevaluate the prospects of a 2021 internship program, share lessons learned for companies seeking to continue internships at an individual level, and analyze other work-based learning models for our respective industries.

Internships are but one tool for promoting building engineering and maintenance careers and connecting qualified employee prospects with the rewarding career paths available to them in commercial real estate and multifamily housing. In the coming weeks and months, look for a new online jobs center for connecting qualified prospects with current job opportunities. This new tool will allow AEF to facilitate connections among commercial real estate and apartment companies and prospective employees in a virtual environment.

As the AEF team continues to adhere to Stay at Home orders, we are working to position the Foundation as a valuable resource for job seekers, education and training providers, and employment and workforce development organizations when the region, nation, and globe begin returning to normal. The Foundation will also be working closely with AOBA members to assess the impact of the crisis on careers in building engineering and maintenance going forward.

Millions of workers have lost their jobs throughout the country, including multiple thousands in the DMV area, and job losses are likely to continue. It is a difficult and unprecedented time. However, while the economic climate surrounding the talent crisis facing our industries in building engineering and maintenance has dramatically changed, the crisis itself is not going away. AEF will be here to connect our industries to education and training providers, government agencies and non-profits, and—most importantly—qualified job seekers with an interest in these rewarding professions.

Please feel free to reach out to Executive Director Wes Huffman via email or by calling (202) 750-1989 and stay tuned for more information from AEF in the weeks and months ahead.

Stay home and stay safe!