Dr. Pamela Howze is the Director of National Workforce Strategies for the National Institute for Innovation and Technology. In her role Dr. Howze oversees the NIT’s National Talent Pipeline Development Initiative, a national strategy and holistic approach to broaden the workforce pipeline in support of strategic industry sectors and regional economic development priorities under what is a national model and infrastructure.
Dr. Howze has spent much of her career leading efforts to expand Registered Apprenticeships and work-based learning at the local, state and national levels, and has extensive public and private sector experience focusing on community and educational partnerships and apprenticeship models. Dr. Howze was instrumental in getting a state tuition waiver for community college youth in North Carolina that enter a Registered Apprenticeship while still in high school. Dr. Howze has also worked on apprenticeship and workforce development for private industry, including Red Hat, Siemens and Merck, has taught in both the North Carolina and South Carolina community college systems for more than 20 years and is an assistant teaching professor at NC State University’s College of Education. Dr. Howze began her career as a U.S. Army Officer and served for seven years on active duty and in the SC National Guard.
Dr. Howze is also a technical advisor to the National Partnership, Partners to Advance Youth Apprenticeships (PAYA).
Dr. Howze earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University and a master’s degree from Troy State University in Alabama. She was awarded a Doctorate of Education in Adult Education and Community College Leadership in 2015 by NC State University, for her research in career technical education and apprenticeship.