SME

Graduation season marks more than a milestone. It represents the next generation of skilled talent preparing to strengthen the future of U.S. manufacturing.

SME is proud to celebrate the Class of 2026 and the students pursuing careers that power innovation across the manufacturing industry. From automation and robotics to AI and advanced technologies, today’s graduates are entering the workforce with the hands-on skills needed to make an immediate impact.

As manufacturers continue to face hundreds of thousands of open advanced manufacturing roles, these graduates are stepping into one of the nation’s most in-demand sectors with opportunities to build meaningful, high-tech and high-impact careers.

Behind every graduate is a strong network of educators, employers, industry partners, and college leaders helping create pathways into manufacturing careers and supporting workforce readiness. Through SME’s Manufacturing Imperative – Workforce Pipeline Challenge (MI-WPC), those partnerships continue to strengthen the manufacturing talent pipeline and help build the skilled workforce manufacturers need to compete and grow.

🎓 Congratulations to the Class of 2026 and the future leaders of manufacturing.

Apprenticeships are one of the most powerful ways to connect students to high-demand careers — and help build the skilled talent employers need.

Across SME’s Manufacturing Imperative – Workforce Pipeline Challenge (MI-WPC) network, colleges and industry partners are working together to strengthen the manufacturing workforce pipeline through hands-on training aligned with real workforce needs. In the first two years of MI-WPC, 2,382 learners have participated in earn-and-learn programs.

🔹Wake Technical Community College North Carolina partnered with life sciences leaders CSL Seqirus, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, and Eli Lilly and Company to launch a BioMechatronics Apprenticeship Program that prepares advanced maintenance technicians for careers in biomanufacturing — the first of its kind in the U.S.

🔹 Mohawk Valley Community College in New York is collaborating with Wolfspeed to develop apprenticeship and training pathways supporting the company’s $1 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility in Marcy.

🔹Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan partners with Tooling Systems Group (TSG) to support tool and die apprenticeships where workers gain hands-on skills in die design and building, machining and more.

National Apprenticeship Week is April 26–May 2.

It’s a great opportunity to spotlight apprenticeship programs—or explore how earn-and-learn models can strengthen workforce development efforts in your community.

Tools, ideas, and resources are available here:

National Apprenticeship Week Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.