The full episode of Project MFG's "Maritime Welding Nationals – Season 1" has been released, showcasing the talents of 16 young finalists from across the U.S. and spotlighting the host facility – Pennsylvania College of Technology’s 55,000-square-foot welding lab.
With the top three finishers winning $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500, the first maritime national competition stirs with excitement and emphasizes a compelling quest: "The U.S. Navy is transforming its nuclear-powered submarine fleet and needs an influx of skilled trades workers to build and maintain its critical undersea advantage," according to Project MFG. "This requires the addition of 100,000-plus skilled workers with the training and commitment to ensure success."
Among those featured in the 13-minute episode are two Penn College faculty members: James N. Colton II, assistant professor and co-department head of welding, and Timothy S. Turnbach, welding instructor.
"I'm really amazed at the quality and the knowledge that these young people have," Turnbach enthused in the episode. "What an opportunity for a young person to be competing in a contest like this! It's just out of this world! It's fabulous."
At the concluding awards ceremony, held in the college's Thompson Professional Development Center, Colton addressed the crowd: "Judging-wise for us was definitely a challenge. Really, congratulations. Everybody should be proud, and you'll have a great career in this path of welding."
The maritime competition and Project MFG’s National Welding League Championship were filmed at Penn College in June. (Penn College News’ initial competition report was published in mid-June.) "Clash of Trades: Welding League Edition Season 2" premiered Aug. 16. Both competition episodes can be viewed on Project MFG’s YouTube channel.
Project MFG is an advocacy group focused on promoting, elevating and accelerating the trade workforce pipeline by informing future generations of the vast career opportunities within the skilled trades industry. Project MFG executes tournament-style skills competitions designed to attract new talent to skilled trade fields: the next generation of machinists, welders, programmers, mechanics and fabricators.