This Excellence in Manufacturing Training Award honors a manufacturer who implements best practices for reducing the skills gap and building a high-performance workforce through a range of workforce development solutions.

The award, established to showcase manufacturing leaders and provide outstanding benchmarks for companies seeking to build a workforce strategy, honors organizations and their exceptional commitment and dedication to upskilling its workforce, enhancing talent, and preparing new and incumbent employees for successful careers in the manufacturing industry.

Nomination Eligibility & Requirements

Each application will be judged on an organization’s demonstration of the following criteria:

• Policies and Procedures
• Job Definition
• Curriculum
• Quality and Continuous Improvement
• Training Infrastructure
• Supporting documentation may be submitted to further demonstrate the strength of your training program.

Who Should Apply:

• Large Manufacturing Companies
• Small Manufacturing Companies

Award Winners Will Receive:

• An official award to display
• Participation in a Tooling U-SME webinar or podcast
• Invitation to and recognition at the SME Awards Gala
• Recognition and Publicity Program

Previous Winners:

• 2020: Milbank Manufacturing
• 2021: Boeing
• 2022: AGC Automotive
• 2023: Intek Plastics
• 2024: Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation
• 2025: Textron Aviation

How To Apply

Applications are due by Monday, February 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Download, complete, and save the application form. Send your completed form and any supporting documentation to Beth Magewick at bmagewick@sme.org.

Application Coming Soon