AACC is partnering with Metallica’s opens in a new windowAll Within My Hands on the Metallica Scholars Initiative. This national effort will continue to promote and showcase career and technical education as a pathway to well-paying jobs.
AACC and AWMH believe this uniquely positioned effort:
- Provides support of relevant job skill training for community college students.
- Reinvests in the communities that supported Metallica by connecting students to skill-building opportunities that bridge the talent needs of employers using the community college system.
- Leverages the influence of the leadership of Metallica to elevate the importance and dignity of career and technical education.
“The fact that you’re working, trying to work, trying to find the path that works best for you – that should be the ultimate goal and most respected thing. So, putting the options out there for people: trade schools, community colleges, even [helping provide] gas money to get to and from school – there are many things you can help with.”
– James Hetfield, Vocalist/Guitarist, Metallica.
Background Information
The Metallica Scholars Initiative began in 2019. AACC partnered with AWMH to provide 10 colleges with $100,000 each to support student accessibility through scholarships for tuition offset, student safety gear and learning materials, etc. The selected Metallica Scholars colleges impacted more than 700 Metallica Scholars to achieve a 80-90% completion rate and a 95% job placement for those who completed their certifications/studies.
Building upon their success, AACC and AWMH opens in a new window partnered again to expand the Metallica Scholars Initiative by adding five new grantee colleges in 2020, an additional nine new colleges in 2021, and again 10 new colleges in 2022—for a total of four cohorts.
To date, the Metallica Scholars Initiative has served 4,195 students in cohorts 1-4!
2023 Announcement
In July 2023, AACC and AWMH proudly announced a fifth cohort of 11 new Metallica Scholars colleges.
The list of all 42 currently participating Metallica Scholar Initiative colleges is below. They cover 33 states across the country and are projected to impact 6,692 Metallica Scholars during the 2023-2024 grant year.
- Aiken Technical College (SC)*
- Central Community College (NE)
- Central Piedmont Community College ( NC)
- Central Wyoming College (WY)*
- Clackamas Community College (OR)
- Clark State College (OH)
- Clinton Community College (IA)
- College of Lake County (IL)
- Columbia Gorge Community College (OR)
- Columbia State Community College (TN)*
- Community College of Baltimore County (MD)
- East Central College (MO)
- Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (KY)
- Front Range Community College (CO)*
- Gateway Technical College (WI)
- Grand Rapids Community College (MI)
- Guilford Technical Community College (NC)
- Hudson County Community College (NJ)
- Itawamba Community College (MS)*
- Lone Star College (TX)
- Middlesex Community College (MA)
- Milwaukee Area Technical College (WI)
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MS)
- Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (WI)*
- Northern Virginia Community College (VA)
- Northwest-Shoals Community College (AL)
- Oxnard College (CA)*
- Pima Community College (AZ)
- Polk State College (FL)
- Rockland Community College (NY)
- Salt Lake Community College (UT)
- San Juan College (NM)
- South Central College (MN)*
- South Louisiana Community College (LA)*
- Spokane Community College (WA)
- Texas State Technical College (TX)*
- Valencia College (FL)
- Victor Valley College (CA)
- West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WV)
- Westchester Community College (NY)
- Western Dakota Technical College (SD)*
- WSU Tech (KS)
(* The new Cohort 5 colleges)
Keep up to date on the Metallica Scholars Initiative by following opens in a new windowAACC’s Community College Daily and social media, and opens in a new windowAll Within My Hands for updated stories.