Meet Katie Vincent, PLSP-ECMC Foundation fellow

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Meet Katie Vincent, director of workforce partnerships at Owensboro Community and Technical College. Vincent’s Techniques interview appears as part of a digital-exclusive spotlight series on fellows in the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation.

What leadership skills do you hope to develop as part of the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation?

Leadership skills and abilities I hope to develop through my fellowship with the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE include:

  • Incorporating a shared, articulable vision and mission across a program/institution
  • Developing effective teams
  • Collaborating effectively with peers
  • Articulating messages clearly in written and verbal communications
  • Building a professional network to support one’s development as a postsecondary CTE leader
  • Understanding challenges in CTE staffing and strategies for recruiting and retaining CTE faculty.

In what ways have you innovated to engage students & inspire colleagues in CTE through the COVID-19 pandemic?

Our college has a competency-based education program called TECH X.  The program focuses heavily on welding. During the early part of the pandemic, when all classes moved to remote learning, our TECH X team developed how-to videos featuring the instructors.  In conjunction with the videos, students engaged in interactive, computer-based training (CBT) modules. And, while CBT doesn’t take the place of hands-on learning, it did help to keep students on track and engaged.

We also hosted regular virtual check-in meetings with students.  This allowed students to log on and ask questions or meet with the success coach for guidance regarding personal or school-related issues.

Our education systems face many challenges in 2021. Please discuss the steps CTE can take to improve equitable access to high-quality CTE programs of study.

First, we can do a better job of meeting students where they are. A large population of students I meet may be drawn to CTE but experience barriers to entry.  Most often, these barriers involve transportation and child care.  Owensboro Community and Technical College provides free bus passes for students, but the bus does not run 24/7 and some programs run at night. They can get to class but they have a hard time getting home. We have gone as far as providing students with Uber rides, but that isn’t a permanent solution.

Further, tackling a different issue, we can improve high-quality CTE program of study by working to recruit and retain key faculty. Instructors who, both, care about student success and demonstrate expertise in their field can help set a program apart from the rest.

Learn more about the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation.

Please also meet:

  • Tiffanie Rosier, STEM education coordinator at Northern Virginia Community College
  • Tachaka Hollins, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs at the Tennessee Board of Regents
  • Tracey D. Cooper, executive director of nursing at Temple College
  • Bernie Phelps, director of Perkins, Perkins Rural Reserve and dual enrollment at Montana Technological University, Highlands College
  • Vickie Thomas, director of the Center for Workforce and Community Development at Eastern New Mexico University – Roswell
  • Moira Lafayette, dean of health sciences and public safety at Blackhawk Technical College
  • Brad Kinsinger, director of the Global Agriculture Learning Center at Hawkeye Community College
  • Eric Sewell, director of technical education at Southern Union State Community College
  • C.J. Wurster, district director at Maricopa County Community College District
  • Xue Xing, assistant professor of teaching and learning at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
  • Aleksander Marthinussen, program manager with NOVA SySTEMic at Northern Virginia Community College
  • Martha Payan-Hernandez, director of CTE at Fullerton College
  • Dan Adams, former CTE administrator and current stay-at-home dad
  • Ashlee Spannagel, dean of CTE and workforce development at Southeastern Community College
  • Darlene O’Rourke, Perkins grant director and officer at Queensborough Community College
  • Shelsi Barber-Carter, CTE coordinator at Baton Rouge Community College