October 01, 2026 Dressed like Rosie the Riveter, the World War II symbol of women at work in manufacturing plants, Adrienne Temple of the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) discussed programs that help manufacturers attract, develop and retain their workforce at the Manufacturing Technology Series SOUTHEAST. Hosted by Greg Jones, director of strategic programs and partnerships at SME, the podcast was part of SME Insights at the SME Mission Critical Workforce 2030 exhibit. Temple, vice president of training programs for the SCMEP — one of the first three centers founded as part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) national network in 1989 — offers a wealth of workforce development services for all its member manufacturers, including recruiting improvement, skill development and employee advancement. Referring to the 1940s recruitment of women into manufacturing, Jones remarked, “This is an initiative that we're seeing grow again around the country. We had lots of women working in manufacturing back then; not as many today. And we would like to see more women working in our industry again.” “I think we're very much in the same space we were back then,” responded Temple. “We're trying to ramp up manufacturing and operate at scale, but we have more open positions than we do people who have the skills to be able to fill them. Back then, it was all about bringing people out of the farms, out of the household, and trying to bring them in and quickly provide skill transfer. They didn’t know anything about manufacturing.” Temple said we're in a very similar situation now. “It's all about trying to bring people that may not have previous experience in technical roles, get them into positions, do skill transfers on those things that our experienced people know about, and then be able to ramp up production. That standardized approach to training was a powerful thing back in the war effort. The same framework exists today, and the SCMEP still delivers the training-within-industry framework.” Recruitment, retention and reputation When it comes to workforce development, Temple discussed what manufacturers can control: the three R’s, recruitment, retention and reputation. “We start focusing on what your systems are for recruitment,” she said about the SCMEP’s consultations with employers. “Do you have updated, relevant job descriptions? Are you very clear on what it is that you actually need, not what you would like to have? I came from manufacturing and a lot of times you have things that have been around for years. Do job descriptions still align with your business and the needs that you have?” For retention, Temple said the key is developing a sense of loyalty in new employees. “We all know if you invest in someone, that's how you start to build loyalty and equity with that person,” she said. And regarding the third “R,” she observed, “Everything you do and the way in which you promote yourself, you're building a reputation in the community as well.” According to Jones, a company’s reputation relates to its development as an employer people want to choose. “Employer of choice is really important,” he said. “It starts with allowing prospective employees to know that manufacturing exists in the area and that these jobs are available.” “In other words, employers of choice already have a pipeline of talent coming in,” explained Temple. “They are retaining the people that they bring in. People want to stay. So when everybody else is job hopping over a few cents here or there, employers of choice are retaining their people." “What it means is they really invested in those three R’s to make sure they have a sustainable system for bringing people in, building trust and equity, and developing their people — and then also engaging with their community so they have a strong reputation in the area.” Company outreach Jones asked if companies invite high school students for tours during Manufacturing Month, which occurs every October. “Typically in regional areas, they have a lot of workforce advisors who work with K-12 education and industry,” said Temple. “They're doing plant tours. There’s definitely outreach taking place, but I think it could be on an even greater scale. There’s so much more opportunity to engage and make a connection early on between industry and education.” According to Temple, the SCMEP works with manufacturers of all sizes, but its “sweet spot” is organizations of 500 employees or less. “But 80% of the manufacturers in South Carolina are 20 employees or less,” she noted. “So you have a lot of micro businesses that are an essential part of our larger manufacturing community.” For companies looking to get started with the SCMEP, Temple said several resources are available at SCMEP.org, including an employer self-quiz to help organizations gauge their workforce development efforts. “You can get a quick answer on that,” she explained. “If somebody wants to dive deeper or realizes they need to work on some things a little bit more, and they want more insights, they can reach out to us.” Temple said the SCMEP also has a 3-Rs assessment for manufacturers who want deeper-dive discussions about what's really happening and where they want to be, workforce-wise. “We’ll help them bridge the gap and give them some recommendations,” she noted. To learn more, watch the full interview below.
