South Louisiana Community College has announced its third consecutive year as part of the Metallica Scholars Initiative.
The initiative, created by the band’s foundation, All Within My Hands, aims to support career and technical education at community colleges. Now in its seventh year nationally, the initiative aims to enhance vital workforce programs in community colleges.
SoLAcc's short-term Precision Machining workforce training program continues to benefit from this support, officials say. To read our stories about past awards from the initiative, click here, here and here.
This year, SoLAcc received $25,000. This funding will provide substantial student support through scholarships and training supplies. Additionally, the grant will fund programmatic outreach materials that showcase the college’s Metallica Scholars. The initiative is dedicated to bridging the skills gap by helping students gain essential training for lucrative and in-demand professions, the college says.
“The Metallica Scholars Initiative at SoLAcc is sparking transformation in both our classrooms and our communities,” said Dr. Tiffany Howard, Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development & Continuing Education. “By tackling urgent workforce needs and giving students the tools to succeed in high-demand, high-wage fields, this partnership is shaping futures and strengthening the economic vitality of our region.”
All Within My Hands recently announced its Year 7 of its Metallica Scholars Initiative with its largest grant to date, totaling approximately $3M. MSI now has a presence in 75 colleges across all 50 United States and the territory of Guam and is expected to reach approximately 10,000 students.
“I could not be any prouder of our Metallica Scholars. We know that our country needs millions of skilled tradespeople, and it warms my heart to know that our Foundation’s efforts are making a positive impact and putting hard-working people on the path to careers in the trades. Whether it’s a school visit or a meet and greet before a show, there is no better feeling than meeting our Metallica Scholars in person and hearing their stories of grit and determination firsthand, along with their pride and commitment. It is truly inspiring. To think we started with a few schools and a couple hundred students, and we’re now in 75 schools nationwide, about to reach 10,000 students. It’s just incredible," said Robert Trujillo, Metallica's bassist.
According to the organization, the initiative was launched in 2019 by All Within My Hands in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges and began with 10 colleges focused primarily on Manufacturing programs. The workforce initiative has since expanded to offer opportunities in diverse fields for students interested in gaining the skills and training necessary to establish meaningful careers that provide family-sustaining wages.
The Sol Price School of Public Policy at University of Southern Califorinia evaluates the impact of the program, and found that the return on investment to be a very high 8.3X. This means that on average, graduates of the initiative can expect to earn more than eight times the upfront cost of the program during their first year.
“2025 is a watershed moment for the Metallica Scholars Initiative,” said foundation director Peter Delgrosso. “With the addition of 15 new schools this fall and USC’s independent research articulating the strength of our results, we are eager to tackle the quantifiable shortage of skilled labor our nation faces. If we extrapolate these ROI numbers over a career, it demonstrates how effective and profitable learning a trade can be for the individual, and how society as a whole also benefits from community college graduates. This insight will profoundly affect MSI going forward, impacting how people view careers in the trades, encouraging more corporate and individual sponsorship, and driving its advancement across the country. We're thrilled to incorporate these findings into this year’s planning and expansion.”
Year 7 also marks the renewal of the foundation's partnership with the Lowe’s Foundation, which has provided $1 million in support as part of its five-year, $50 million commitment to prepare 50,000 people for skilled trades careers.
