Matchmaker Program
Talent meets purpose. Our Matchmaker Program connects companies with students from our University Program - future engineers and leaders who have proven themselves in cross-cultural, community-driven projects. It’s more than recruiting; it’s investing in professionals who bring passion, resilience, and global competency to the workplace.
About the Matchmaker Program
Recruiting top architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) talent is more competitive and costly than ever. Dodge Data & Analytics reports that construction starts are projected to rise 33% by 2026, while College Recruiter reports that the average cost of on-campus recruiting now exceeds $6,100 per hire. Traditional pipelines aren’t enough to meet demand.
Our Matchmaker Program changes the equation. By connecting companies directly with our diverse, globally trained students, we provide a cost-effective, high-impact way to mentor and recruit the next generation.
The Goal
Our goal is simple: create a win-win-win.
For students: a path to meaningful mentorship and careers.
For companies: access to diverse, skilled recruits already proven through complex design-build projects.
For EIA: deeper partnerships that expand our impact, bringing safe bridges and WASH systems to communities worldwide
Each year, we engage hundreds of students from dozens of universities across the world to help us design and build essential infrastructure projects with communities in need. Along the way, they improve the skills, resilience, and global perspective that today’s AEC employers need most.
How it Works
Through our University Program, students take projects from concept to construction:
Designing engineering plans, drawings, budgets, and schedules.
Preparing risk mitigation and construction management plans.
Spending part of their summer living and working alongside communities to build the very infrastructure they designed.
This immersive, cross-cultural model develops not only technical expertise, but also teamwork, adaptability, leadership, and problem-solving. When you hire from EIA, you gain professionals who have already thrived in the most challenging real-world conditions.
Company Benefits
Engage your staff as mentors for EIA students, both throughout the academic year and in the field - a year-long, real-world “interview” with potential hires.
Recruit at EIA’s in-person annual conference career fair, featuring top students from dozens of top universities, all in one place.
Receive personalized introductions to students interested in your company.
Post directly to EIA’s internal job board.
Showcase corporate responsibility by aligning with global development goals (SDGs 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and more)
Student Benefits
More effective and efficient new paths to co-ops, internships, and full-time jobs.
Professional mentorship across an entire academic year - both in the classroom and in the field.
Opportunities to showcase skills to top-tier employers.
Networking and exposure to unique AEC career paths.
Personalized introductions to partner companies aligned with your interests and career goals.
Year-round access to EIA’s internal job board.
How To Engage
We help students and professionals find meaningful ways to volunteer their engineering talents to address humanitarian needs around the globe.
Recruit Emerging Talent: Share your hiring needs with EIA, and we'll connect you directly with students whose interests align with your opportunities.
Mentor On Campus: Mentor EIA students - virtually or in person - in leadership, project management, design, and more.
Mentor in the Field: Join students on bridge and WASH builds, observing and guiding them through real field challenges.
Matchmaker Program Timeline
Matchmaker Program Testimonials
Join our fast-growing network of Matchmaker Program partners, including top companies and top universities from around the world. Our company partners provide career opportunities in diverse fields. Our university partners provide diverse students with diverse skillsets as a result of participating in our programs. Nearly half of our students are women and nearly half identify as a racial/ethnic minority - both much higher than the STEM & AEC fields in general.
Our Matchmaker Partners
Take Action
Invest in the future of engineering.
Through EIA’s Matchmaker Program, your company connects directly with the next generation of globally competent engineers - students who have designed, built, and led real projects in partnership with communities around the world. It’s more than recruitment; it’s mentorship, shared purpose, and a pipeline for meaningful impact.
Join us in building the bridge between education and industry.