KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Fourteen student finalists from across the country will put their welding skills to the test during a national welding challenge, featured in an upcoming episode of "Clash of Trades," a competition reality show streaming on YouTube. The competition, organized by Project MFG and hosted at Lincoln Electric headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, coincides with this year's Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) on October 1, 2021.
Manufacturing Day highlights modern manufacturing to students, parents and the American public by showcasing how new advanced manufacturing technologies are bringing about new careers. The Project MFG National Welding Challenge gives student competitors an opportunity to use the latest technology in Lincoln Electric's Welding Technology and Training Center (WTTC). A camera crew will follow student competitors throughout the challenge, which will be judged by industry experts, and the winner revealed publicly during the next episode of "Clash of Trades," premiering on Project MFG's YouTube channel on Wednesday, December 8, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Defense's Industrial Base and Sustainment (IBAS) Program supports Project MFG and their creation of "Clash of Trades" reality show that intends to change the perception of the skilled trades by highlighting trade skill competitions, the stories of individuals entering the field and the future-focused work of the U.S. manufacturing industry.
"Project MFG elevates the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals in three ways. We attract top student talent by creating single and multiple technology competitions, we shape new narratives so they tell their own stories and we ignite investment so more students can enroll in high-skill, high-tech programs," said Bill Ross, president of Project MFG.
Project MFG competitions and "Clash of Trades" were started, in part, because studies show the manufacturing industry is experiencing exponential change and new technologies are not eliminating jobs as some predicted. Studies have found the reverse – more jobs are being created (2018 skills gap in manufacturing study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute). The skills gap may leave more than 2 million positions unfilled if more young people don't enter the skilled trades. The U.S. Department of Defense declared this deficit as one of the most vital challenges for the U.S. defense industrial base (U.S. DOD Nov2020 release).
About Project MFG
Project MFG shines a light on the need and opportunities for skilled trades by focusing on the development of new talent to provide a path forward for individuals and our country. Project MFG competitions throughout the United States promote the trades across industries and help advance the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals. As an integrated workforce development and recruitment effort, Project MFG collaborates across communities, the private sector and government to expand the US industrial base workforce.
Project MFG is a program of the Global Learning Accelerator Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, funded by the Department of Defense, and operated and managed by RD Solutions, LLC. The mission of the Global Learning Accelerator is helping people find the nexus between their passions and what the world needs.
For more information about Project MFG and the Clash of Trades, please visit our website: http://www.projectmfg.com.
Check us out on social: @ProjectMFG
Media Contact
Robb Yagmin, www.ProjectMFG.com, 913.908.0028, [email protected]
SOURCE Project MFG
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