Quick Overview:
August in review
Meet the 2025 Advanced Manufacturing Champions: Yuba College
The 2024–25 season of Project MFG’s Advanced Manufacturing Competition Series has been one for the books. It all started in October 2024 with 60 schools representing 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces signing up to compete.
After the qualifying round, teams submitted their projects for judging, and just 16 advanced to the Regional Rounds. From there, the competition tightened even further, with only four schools earning the chance to battle it out at the National Championship, held at Southwestern Illinois College’s brand-new, state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing facility.
The four finalists brought talent and creativity from every corner of the U.S.:
Autry Technology Center (Oklahoma)
Central Alabama Community College (Alabama)
Everett Community College (Washington)
Yuba College (California)
This year’s theme was space exploration, and students were challenged to manufacture critical components of a CubeSat. The project tested not only their technical abilities but also their teamwork, problem-solving, and ability to perform under pressure.
In the end, Yuba College claimed the crown, earning the title of Clash of Trades Advanced Manufacturing Champions and walking away with the $100,000 grand prize.
The season highlighted the creativity, determination, and skill of the next generation of manufacturers, and proved once again that the future of advanced manufacturing is bright.
Registration for the 2025-2026 season is open!
National Welding League
If you’re interested in a way to assess your students’ welding knowledge and challenge their skills, the Project MFG Welding League is the perfect opportunity.
Throughout the season, student competitors will engage in a series of project-based challenges that require them to demonstrate proficiency in various welding processes. These projects will evaluate their capabilities in key areas such as fit-up, joint preparation, and the quality of the final weld. At the end of the season, the top-performing participants for the year will have the opportunity to compete head-to-head at the Project MFG National Welding Championship, where they will compete for the national title and a grand prize of $10,000 in cash.
Advanced Manufacturing
The Advanced Manufacturing Competition series is a team competition testing a combination of integrated manufacturing processes that may include 5-axis CNC/Machining, Additive, and Metrology. Competitors should expect to experience and manage real world situations such as change orders, project delays, & time management challenges.
Interdisciplinary teams compete in a multi-day challenge to create a product to required specifications. For the National Championship, four of the most skilled student teams in the trades come together for the advanced manufacturing competition for the title of Project MFG National Champion and the $100,000 prize. The competition is designed to reflect the advanced manufacturing workplace and requires the production of a final product.
National Machining League
National Machining League is a high-school level individual competition testing CNC Machining skills up to 3-axis surfacing. Schools can submit up to 3 students to individually compete and challenge each student’s ability to think critically, manage resources, and demonstrate skill and competency in machining.
This competition consists of a qualifying round project where the top individuals will be invited to compete in a National Championship for a chance to win $10,000!
want to become a sponsor?
For Companies who want to make a difference for the skilled trades community, please consider becoming a Project MFG sponsor!
Congratulations to our 2025 Maritime Welding Champion: Spencer Johnson
Congratulations to our 2025 National Welding Champion: Navarre Plagmann
As Seen in The New York Times: The Power of Competition-Driven Manufacturing Education
