Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship
Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship
The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation strives to address the growing shortage of state postsecondary Career Technical Education (CTE) leadership by providing aspiring leaders with access to postsecondary CTE program improvement research and resources and a network of experienced leaders dedicated to the development of high-quality policies and practices. Through individualized supports, intentional networks and a real-world fellowship project, Advance CTE – ECMCF Fellows are gaining the skills and connection to pursue leadership positions and advance high-quality state postsecondary CTE systems.
State Career Technical Education (CTE) systems face the dual challenge of a growing shortage of postsecondary leaders and meeting the challenge of improving the performance of all CTE students, including the subgroups described in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and special populations as defined in Perkins V.
Advance CTE launched the Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE sponsored by ECMC Foundation (Fellowship) in Fall 2021 with a goal of supporting and equipping mid-career postsecondary CTE leaders with the knowledge, tools, and network to effectively lead high-quality postsecondary CTE programs with an outcomes-based focus at the state level.
Advance CTE designed the Fellowship’s curriculum to meet the defined and evaluated needs of the inaugural cohort of Fellows with continued implementation and application with the third cohort, launched in the Fall of 2024. The members of the Fellowship represented 22 states across two cohorts. Fellows gain strategic leadership skills and build networks to meet the Perkins requirement of continually making meaningful progress towards improving the performance of all CTE students in postsecondary CTE systems through:
- Interactive, in-depth virtual workshop with a curriculum rooted in quality, closing access and performance gaps, and collaboration
- Intentional spaces to build relationships with Fellows, national CTE leaders, and the ECMCF CTE Leadership Collaborative
- Individualized coaching
- Fellowship participant stipends
- Organizational convenings and presentations
- Completion of real-world fellowship project in their community
The need for this Fellowship was reflected in receiving over 200 applications across the three cohorts. The intentional selection of Fellows representing varied postsecondary positions from deans of departments at community colleges to P-Tech administrators housed at K-12 institutions, is a testament to Fellowship’s reach across the postsecondary CTE spectrum. Advance CTE-ECMCF Fellows have already leveraged skills and networks gained through the Fellowship to pursue career advancement — five Fellows have been accepted into doctoral programs, and 45 percent of Fellows were promoted during participation in the Fellowship.
To extend learning from this initiative, Advance CTE developed a suite of resources to assist state leaders with building the knowledge and skills to design high-performing state systems and CTE programs for all learners; share the leadership stories and journeys of veteran postsecondary CTE leaders r; and equip CTE leaders to build administrative systems and sustain CTE leadership pipelines. These resources include a series of briefs featuring real-world projects from Advance CTE-ECMCF Fellows.
Meet our alumni to connect with some of the brightest and greatest minds in postsecondary CTE and workforce development
Visit the Alumni Directory
If you have any questions about the Fellowship, contact Senior Advisor Dr. Kevin Johnson at [email protected].
Meet our 2024-2025 Fellows!
Journey to CTE Leadership
The son of Chinese immigrants who worked 16-18 hour days, 360 days a year, Justin Chin is invested in CTE to create a better life and a better world for people like his parents. An alumni of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE – sponsored by ECMC Foundation, Justin shares his personal journey to state CTE leadership, how the Fellowship helped him on this journey, and recommendations for state leaders on how to create welcoming spaces for aspiring leaders.
Forced to find employment after the abrupt closing of her lab, Dr. Dimitria Harding worked her way from adjunct professor to Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. An alumni of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE – sponsored by ECMC Foundation, Dr. Harding shares her personal journey to state CTE leadership, how the Fellowship helped her on this journey, and recommendations for state leaders on how to create welcoming spaces for aspiring leaders.
The grandson of a “ditch digger,” Carlos Lopez is a first-generation college graduate who pursued state-level CTE leadership to make a larger impact in the lives of underserved learners. An alumni of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE – sponsored by ECMC Foundation, Carlos shares his personal journey to state CTE leadership, how the Fellowship helped him on this journey, and recommendations for state leaders on how to create welcoming spaces for aspiring leaders.
Janelle Washington is passionate about navigating the intersection of higher education and the criminal legal system. Inspired by her granddad, an ironworker, Janelle saw CTE as a natural place to pursue her passion. An alumni of The Postsecondary State Career Technical Education Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE – sponsored by ECMC Foundation, Janelle shares her personal journey to state CTE leadership, how the Fellowship helped her on this journey, and recommendations for state leaders on how to create welcoming spaces for aspiring leaders.
2024-2025 Fellows
This third cohort of the Fellowship is made up of 20 Fellows across 16 states and the District of Columbia, from various instructor, staff, and administrative positions who are preparing to lead postsecondary CTE agencies and institutions.
Meet our alumni to connect with some of the brightest and greatest minds in postsecondary CTE and workforce development
