LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation (AWMH) has launched its fifth year with the addition of 11 new colleges to its 31-member roster and a donation of $1.85m to expand the programs for its Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). Metallica – one of the greatest rock bands in music history, consists of James Hetfield (vocals, guitar), Kirk Hammett (vocals, lead guitar), Lars Ulrich (vocals, drums) and Jason Trujillo (vocals, bass).
Ulrich said, “This is so important to us because we are seeing results. Five years in, with the help of community colleges across the country, we are helping people fill these essential jobs which require skills and training. We are so proud and grateful that we can facilitate this program.”
The band’s major workforce education initiative launched in 2019 in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Schools are selected via a competitive application process in collaboration with the AACC. MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states to enhance their career and technical education programs. New curriculum includes fire technology, hospitality, culinary arts and many other fields of study. To date, Metallica and the foundation have invested over $6m in the American workforce.
AWMH Executive Director Peter DelGrosso said, “With the launch of the fifth year of the program, we will now have supported well over 5,000 Metallica Scholars across workforce education. The MSI is a strong and cooperative community of the nation’s best community colleges, creating a supportive climate for participants to communicate directly and share best practices. As a result, our recipients leave the program well-trained and confident. Ultimately, the impact is felt in their local communities and nationally, as Metallica Scholars enter the workforce and fill, or create, much-needed workforce and technical positions.”
The new schools will each receive $100,000 to enhance the student experience as they receive career training for economic development.
The 11 schools joining MSI this year are:
- Aiken Technical College – Aiken, South Carolina
- Central Wyoming College – Riverton, Wyoming
- Columbia State Community College – Columbia, Tennessee
- Front Range Community College – Westminster, Colorado
- Itawamba Community College – Fulton, Mississippi
- Northeast Wisconsin Technical College – Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Oxnard College (Ventura County Community College District) – Oxnard, California
- South Central College – North Mankato, Minnesota
- South Louisiana Community College – Lafayette, Louisiana
- Texas State Technical College – Waco, Texas
- Western Dakota Technical College – Rapid City, South Dakota
