This Years Top Highlights
2x Gold Viddy Award Winner
Looking back on 2025, this is a moment we’re especially proud of. This year, Project MFG took home not one, but two Gold Viddy Awards! Our Clash of Trades Advanced Manufacturing Season 5 earned Gold in the Long-Form Cause-Related category, and Hawaii Maritime Welding brought home Gold in the Short-Form Cause-Related category, along with an honorable mention in the Entertainment category. These wins mean a lot because they recognize what we care about most: telling real stories about students who are putting in the work, building great skills, and carving out futures in advanced manufacturing. Huge thanks to our longtime partners at Vacancy Pictures for capturing the grit, focus, and passion of these competitors season after season. Moments like this remind us why we do what we do, and they’ve got us fired up to get back on set and make the next season even better.
Featured in the New York Times
Our Clash of Trades Advanced Manufacturing series continues to gain well-deserved momentum, earning national recognition in The New York Times this year. The feature highlights real results, from Yuba College’s championship win led by student Wyatt Curry to Southwestern Illinois College expanding its precision machining program after its 2022 victory. As the article notes, with manufacturers struggling to find skilled talent, Project MFG is proving that competition-driven education builds enrollment, validates technical skills, and creates clear pathways to high-impact careers. The recognition reinforces what we’ve always believed: skilled trades deserve the same prestige as any high-skill profession.
Launched our PMFG Go:
Mobile Learning Trailer
A major highlight of 2025 was rolling out our Project MFG – GO, a new mobile learning trailer bringing advanced manufacturing directly to students and communities. Designed as an interactive, hands-on experience, our GO trailer goes beyond a traditional exhibit by showing what’s possible in the skilled trades and inspiring the next generation to explore careers in modern manufacturing.
Kick-started a brand new competition series:
Additive Manufacturing
As we continue our mission to Promote, Elevate, and Accelerate the Skilled Trades, we’re always looking for new ways to grow, evolve, and push the industry forward. This year marked a major milestone with the launch of our newest competition series: Additive Manufacturing. Designed to challenge teams and spotlight the cutting edge of 3D printing and additive technologies, the series brings innovation to the forefront of skilled trades competition. The competition features four regional rounds, all leading to a single championship event. We’re thrilled to keep building momentum and, very soon, crown the first-ever Project MFG Additive Manufacturing Champion.
2024-2025 Competition Recap
Advanced Manufacturing
Teams Competed
60
Students Participated
205
States
29
NAtional WElding League
Students Competed
350
Schools Participated
122
States
37
National Machining league
Students Competed
105
Schools Participated
40
States
20
Maritime Welding
Students Competed
174
Schools Participated
48
States
7
the 24-25 Champions
Advanced Manufacturing
Yuba College
National Welding League
Navarre Plagmann
Machining League
Semmy Badenhop
Maritime Welding
