2022 NCATC President's Message

On behalf of the Board of Directors, our over 170 community & technical college members from 34 states along with 45 corporate Strategic Partners across the country, welcome to the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC).  

It is a true honor and pleasure to serve as President this year.  However, we continue to face significant challenges as we continue to emerge from the impact of COVID-19; not only on the communities and people we serve but the country has a whole.  This is only further emphasized in the December 2021, National Skills Coalition Report “Building State Career Pathway Systems – A Toolkit for State Policymakers, Human Service Agency Leaders, Community Colleges, and Partners”, by carefully crafting “career pathway systems that can support inclusive economic recovery.”1 Only to be complemented by the Center for Occupational Research and Development’s work on projects such as Pathways to Credentials and Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work (www.cord.org).  

As Community Colleges and educational strategies continue to evolve, we believe your affiliation with NCATC is even more critical. Collaborations with our member schools and colleges, strategic partners, and engagement with key organizations will help guide this transformational process.  This is reinforced by NCATC’s continued commitment to the strategic focus areas of Industry 4.0: Emerging Trends in Advanced Technology and Smart Manufacturing; Apprenticeships, Work-Based Learning and Entrepreneurship in Workforce Development; Competency-Based Learning in Workforce Development; Industry-Recognized Credentials and Certifications; and Adult Education and Learning Opportunities.

Tasked with the daunting challenge of helping my community college with this transformational process the partnerships, expertise, and knowledge NCATC has harnessed for our member network has been and continues to be invaluable as we continue to navigate this ever-evolving process.  I look forward to connecting with you either virtually in our NEW Quarterly Member Drop-Ins via Zoom or face-to-face later this year at our 2022 Fall Conference - Moving Forward: Leveraging Technology, Collaboration, and Inclusion in North Carolina hosted by Rowan Cabarrus Community College.   

Amanda Sizemore - 2022 NCATC President 

1 Kinder, Kate, et al. Building State Career Pathways Systems A Toolkit for State Policymakers, Human Service Agency Leaders, Community Colleges, and Partners. Dec. 2021.