Project MFG National Championship – Clash of Trades – first broadcast on April 20th, follows four teams, four states, through one identical advanced manufacturing challenge. The teams fought their way through local, state, and regional competitions to win prizes, scholarships, and the title of Project MFG Champion. The competition pitted the four team finalists (Calhoun Community College, Danville Community College, Southwestern Illinois College and Tennessee College of Applied Technology) against one another in a challenge that mirrors real-world, hands-on skill sets needed to succeed in advanced manufacturing. Team Danville Community College (DCC), VA won the championship and will be presented with their prizes at an event to be scheduled at a later date. Each member of the winning team will receive $5000 of prizes that support transition into the workforce and DCC will receive $20,000 for scholarships.
Congratulations to Ray Dick – CEO of RD Solutions and Project MFG lead, for executing this exciting project and thank you to IBAS for this innovative game changer for energizing the next generation for manufacturing workers. Project MFG 2021 competition series begins in late May 2021.
Project MFG is an integrated workforce development and recruitment effort that shines a light on the need and opportunities for skilled trades. Project MFG is a series of interdisciplinary team competitions designed to harness one of the best of the American traits—our competitive spirit – to promote manufacturing and inspire individuals to enter the manufacturing sector. Project MFG collaborates across communities, the private sector, and government to expand the U.S. industrial base workforce.
The pilot episode of Clash of Trades premiered on the Project MFG YouTube channel on April 20, 2021. The show, hosted by Big Sky Music Group recording artist and CMT’s “Next Woman of Country”, Stephanie Quayle, provided an engaging look at each team’s story and their approach to completing the challenge, which was judged by a panel of expert judges and woven into the show format. The show was designed to change the perception of the skilled trades by highlighting the stories of individuals entering the field and the high-tech, future-focused work being done in the U.S. manufacturing industry.
To date 24 state teams competed with a total of 141 individual competitors, $232,218 awarded in grants and scholarships plus $83,500 in tools/tooling prizes.
Clash of Trades Teaser Trailer https://youtu.be/qiiBr9IVPnU
View Clash of Trades on Project MFG’s YouTube channel https://youtu.be/AkY0vFgZCw4
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