SME’s Manufacturing Imperative Workforce Pipeline Challenge (MI-WPC) continues to make significant strides in addressing the manufacturing industry’s growing workforce and skills gap. In its first year, the initiative has engaged 25 community colleges across 17 states, gaining momentum toward its goal of engaging 1,000 learners per college annually and 75,000 over three years.

The manufacturing workforce in the U.S. is facing a critical shortage, with over 460,000 positions currently unfilled—not to mention the many roles soon to be vacated by retiring workers. Without intervention, this gap is projected to widen to 4 million unfilled positions by 2030.

One promising solution lies in the 8 million young adults aged 18–24 who are not currently pursuing post-secondary education. Tapping into this demographic, along with adults who have been overlooked in workforce training and employment, is key to meeting the immediate and future needs of manufacturing. Additionally, efforts must focus on engaging populations that remain on the margins of education and training opportunities to ensure an inclusive approach to solving these challenges.

A new national impact report outlines the accomplishments of the program including more than 467 new courses and course sections, benefiting nearly 18,000 learners, as well as over 2,000 outreach events that have involved nearly 43,000 students, faculty, and community members.

This initiative has fostered vital collaboration among educational institutions, industry leaders, and community partners to address workforce challenges. As MI-WPC moves forward, the program will scale successful strategies, replicate proven solutions, and ensure that efforts remain adaptable to local needs.

Read more about the MI-WPC and its progress in the full National Impact Report.

National Impact Report

Explore More:

• Manufacturing Imperative Progress Report
• SME Convenes Key Stakeholders to Tackle Workforce Shortage
• SME Launches Initiative with Community Colleges