ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə ðɪ ɐmˈɛɹɪkən səsˈaɪəɾi fɔːɹ ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ ˌɛdʒuːkˈeɪʃənz pɹˈɪzəm mˌæɡɐzˈiːn, "ˈɛkmə wʌz kɹiːˈeɪɾᵻd ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti z təbi ɐ sˈɪŋɡəl ˈɪntɚfˌeɪs fɔːɹ kˈʌmpəniz wˈɔntɪŋ tə ɹᵻkɹˈuːt ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ ɡɹˈædʒuːəts θɹuː ˈædz ɪnðə mˌæɡɐzˈiːnz pˈʌblɪʃt baɪ ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹɪŋ kˈɑːlɪdʒᵻz."
According to the American Society for Engineering Education's Prism Magazine, "ECMA was created in the 1920s to be a single interface for companies wanting to recruit engineering graduates through ads in the magazines published by engineering colleges."