Manufacturing makes the world go ’round, and nowhere is that more real than Guam. Sitting at the crossroads of the Pacific, the island depends on the ships, shipyards, and skilled hands that keep the region moving, and all of it rests on the next generation of tradespeople. That’s why Project MFG is here: to promote the trades through experiences like career discovery events, elevate them through real competition, and accelerate them through instructor training, turning talent that’s already on the island into careers that keep Guam running
Project MFG is there for the whole journey, from first spark to first job. We meet students before they know the trades exist, put them on real machines under real pressure, judge their work to the standard employers actually use, and put the proof in front of the people who hire.
Make It Known
Reach people who never knew this world existed.
Put the trades in the spotlight: real careers that last a lifetime and go anywhere on the map. Every Project MFG experience is a chance to open the door for someone new.
Make It Respected
Reframe the trades as freedom, not fallback.
Real competition raises the bar and the profile. The path gets concrete: from this shop floor to that shipyard, from this skill to work the whole country depends on.
Make It Faster
Upskill into cutting-edge, high-relevance work.
New tools mean new skills, and we keep instructors and students on the leading edge. What's learned on the competition floor today is ready for the jobs that need filling tomorrow.
Hawaii’s statewide maritime welding competition puts students head to head on real shipyard skills, judged by certified welding inspectors with Navy and industry pros in the room. Winners take home podium finishes that follow them into careers.
Career discovery events are the first spark. We bring the trades to students where they are, at schools, career days, and community events across the islands, and let them get their hands on the work. Last season more than 1,200 Hawaii students got their first look at what a career in the trades actually looks like.
The fastest way to reach more students is through the people who teach them. Our instructor cohorts deliver hands-on welding training with continuing education credits, so what starts in one workshop reaches classrooms across the islands for years.
Real students, real shipyards, real pressure. This is what last season looked like.