Globalization has offshored low skills manufacturing, leaving industry in the United States to adjust business models, install ever-advancing technology, and incorporate automation on their production floor. These advances in precision and computer-aided work require a labor force with technical and “soft” skills to operate complex equipment in a team environment. But businesses are struggling to find this skilled workforce; 6.2 million jobs in America went unfilled in 2017. Stakeholders from government, industry, and academia point to two-year colleges as the catalyst to address the skills gap and in turn, drive the U.S. economy. This study built a conceptual framework of workforce development based on human capital theory and best practices that emphasized two-year college engagement with industry. Quantitative surveys regarding employer opinions are gaining momentum and rich literature exists about two-year colleges. Therefore, this study designed a qualitative research methodology utilizing semi-structured interviews of 16 employers in manufacturing to understand their perspective of workforce development conducted by the colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System. Wisconsin provided an information rich environment as the state boasts the oldest vocational education program in the nation and manufacturing still provides the largest share of employment in the state. Qualitative data from employer interviews was analyzed using a thematic analysis. The major findings identified that: (a) employers spoke with positive perceptions regarding their relationship with two-year colleges through advisory committees, but the committees could be more effective with more engaged manufacturers that prioritize the community over their parochial workforce development goals; (b) employers focused on responsiveness and location as key factors in facilitating their effective relationship with two-year colleges to educate, train, and develop new talent and incumbent employees; (c) employers value two-year colleges that recruit, train, and place talent as labor market intermediaries; furthermore, effective relationships share the responsibility of recruiting and developing the workforce; and (d) consistent with the research design to examine employer/college relationships that effectively conduct workforce development, all but three employers perceived the impact of their relationship positively. This research verified the need to focus on relationships, recruiting, and strategic messaging to address the mid-level skills gap plaguing the United States.