The National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT) Announces New Director of National Workforce Strategies

The NIIT's National Talent Pipeline Development Initiative to be led by one of the nation's top experts in biomanufacturing workforce development and Registered Apprenticeship Programs

HANOVER, Md., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT), the nation's leader in the semiconductor talent pipeline development, announced that Dr. Pam Howze will lead its National Talent Pipeline Development Initiative (TPDI). 

Under the initiative, Dr. Howze will be responsible for deploying the NIIT's infrastructure and programs to support state and regional talent pipeline development. She will focus on programs that attract and provide career access to a wider segment of the population, including currently underrepresented and underserved populations as well as veterans and their families.

"We are thrilled that Dr. Howze has agreed to join our team of national experts in the field of workforce development," said Mike Russo, President and CEO of the NIIT. "Dr. Howze's wealth of experience in talent pipeline development will be an asset to our mission of expanding education and training opportunities in critical sectors for the nation."

Dr. Howze spent much of her career leading efforts to expand apprenticeship and work-based learning at the local, state and national levels. Her extensive experience in apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship and youth apprenticeship programs includes developing a state tuition waiver program for community college youth that enter a registered apprenticeship while still in high school. She 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. Previously, Dr. Howze held roles at Red Hat, Siemens and Merck focused on workforce development. She began her career as a U.S. Army Officer and served for seven years on active duty and in the SC National Guard.

"It is a pleasure to take on this new role at the National Institute for Innovation and Technology as we work with the public and private sectors to increase workforce preparedness in critical industries," said Dr. Pam Howze. "I look forward to contributing to this goal and working alongside a passionate group of experts providing a real service to this country."

The TPDI is designed to support place-based economic development by creating regional "talent hubs" that integrate all aspects of training and education into what is a holistic approach to establish career pathways, improve access and increase opportunities in order to broaden the talent pipeline. The initiative leverages the NIIT's National Talent Hub, the nation's first integrated portal to support the expansion and development of the talent pipeline in tech-based job recruitment, as well as the NIIT's innovative Registered Apprenticeship program, which is being scaled under an exclusive U.S. Department of Labor contract.

The NIIT is a 501(c)(3) with a mission to identify roadblocks to innovation in strategic industry sectors – those important to the nation's national security and global competitiveness - and ensure they are eliminated. Talent pipeline development is the major focus of the NIIT, and through comprehensive industry engagement, the NIIT is leading the development of a national strategy and infrastructure to broaden and build the talent pipeline for the semiconductor industry and strategic industry sectors in general. Through its National Talent Pipeline Development Initiative and the support of the federal government, the NIIT has developed a comprehensive, nationally integrated approach that includes the alignment of programs K-12 through higher education and adult and veteran training, infrastructure to attract a broader population and improve access and connections to career and needed training, and the ability to scale to support the nation.

SOURCE National Institute for Innovation and Technology (NIIT)