All Within My Hands (AWMH), the charitable foundation established by the members and management of Metallica, has announced the eighth year of its Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI), committing its biggest investment so far with more than $3.3 million in funding.
This year’s expansion brings 18 additional schools in the United States into the program. Fifteen institutions will each receive $75,000 to strengthen their career and technical education programs, while three schools will receive $50,000 grants for new equipment. Beyond the U.S., AWMH is also taking the initiative overseas for the first time, awarding $250,000 (£186,000) to launch the Metallica Scholars Initiative in the United Kingdom through a partnership with Capital City College Group.
Metallica frontman James Hetfield reflected on how far the program has come: “This thing started as a dream. Now our program is changing lives. To expand our impact on a global scale and support even more students is so rewarding. We’re so proud of all the Metallica Scholars who have come through it and all the ones who will participate in it. It’s humbling to know we’ve been part of the journey of thousands of trade professionals doing good, hard work in the world.”
Since launching in 2019, the Metallica Scholars Initiative has partnered with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to help students enter skilled trades. While the program initially focused on careers such as welding, plumbing, and electrical work, it has steadily broadened its reach to include industries facing growing workforce demand.
The eighth year of the initiative supports students training in nursing and healthcare, optical systems technology, automotive repair, maritime manufacturing, firefighting and EMT programs, pipefitting and agricultural careers, among other vocational fields.
Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard, president and CEO of AACC, highlighted the program’s continued growth: “The continued growth of the Metallica Scholars Initiative is a powerful testament to what’s possible when visionary philanthropy and community colleges come together around a shared mission. Through this partnership, 13,000 community college students have already been supported across the country, earning the skills needed for in-demand careers with family-sustaining wages. This latest, generous investment by Metallica‘s foundation will reach more learners while strengthening the workforce pipelines that power local economies. We are proud to partner with All Within My Hands to scale this impact, ensuring even more students have access to life-changing opportunities in the skilled trades and beyond.”
With demand for skilled trades extending well beyond the United States and Metallica‘s worldwide audience, the foundation has worked toward bringing the initiative to other countries. The first international program will launch this fall in partnership with Capital City College Group, a London-based institution with roots dating back to 1828 and more than 30,000 students across 12 campuses. The program will support students preparing for careers through vocational education.
Peter Delgrosso, executive director of AWMH, said the expansion marks a major step forward: “Metallica Scholars Year 8 will see our largest-scale growth yet, as we anticipate supporting close to 4,000 new students in the United States and more than 1,000 learners in the U.K. for a total of 5,000 across the program! This represents an approximate 40% increase in our student body, something we are incredibly excited about. Supporting people of all ages entering and ascending through trades is the right thing to do, not just domestically, but also abroad. Our Metallica Scholars have demonstrated resilience and a strong determination to succeed, which in turn motivates us to match their ambition.”
Year eight also renews partnerships with Carhartt, Wolverine, CNH Construction and Upstaging, Inc., while welcoming ServiceTitan as a new corporate partner. Together with AWMH’s leadership and the extended Metallica family, these organizations continue to support the foundation’s workforce education efforts.
Founded in 2017, All Within My Hands focuses on workforce education, hunger relief and community support. Because Metallica covers all of the foundation’s operating expenses, every donation goes directly toward supported programs. To date, AWMH has distributed $19 million through the Metallica Scholars Initiative, $8.8 million to fight food insecurity, and $6.2 million for disaster relief and other community services around the world.
The American Association of Community Colleges, based in Washington, D.C., represents community colleges serving more than 10 million students. The organization works to expand educational opportunities, strengthen career pathways and advocate for the resources needed to help students build long-term careers.
Newly added Metallica Scholar colleges:
Barton Community College – Great Bend, KS
Berkshire Community College – Pittsfield, MA
Central Maine Community College – Auburn, ME
Delaware County Community College – Media, PA
Dutchess Community College – Poughkeepsie, NY
Fletcher Technical Community College – Schriever, LA
Lake Region State College – Devils Lake, ND
Metropolitan Community College – Kansas City, MO
Monroe Community College – Rochester, NY
Moraine Valley Community College – Palos Hills, IL
North Central State College – Mansfield, OH
Northeast State Community College – Blountville, TN
Northwest Mississippi Community College – Senatobia, MS
Raritan Valley Community College – Branchburg, NJ
Riverside City College – Riverside, CA
South Texas College – McAllen, TX
Trident Technical College – North Charleston, SC
William Rainey Harper College – Palatine, IL
For a complete list of all 93 colleges currently supported by AWMH, visit here.
