Photo Credit: All Within My Hands
Metallica’s non-profit education program expands to 75 schools, with $3 million committed in its seventh year.
All Within My Hands (AWMH), the non-profit organization created by members and management of Metallica, has announced the seventh year of its Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). This year sees its largest grant to date, at approximately $3 million. Fifteen new schools will join in the fall, with each receiving $75,000 to enhance the student experience within career and technical education programs.
The program now has a presence in 75 colleges across all 50 states and Guam, and is expected to reach approximately 10,000 students. AWMH continues to work closely with its long-time partner, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), on the initiative.
“I could not be 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,” shared Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo.
“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.”
Launched in 2019 by All Within My Hands in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, MSI 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.
Additional curricula in Year 7 include Air Traffic Control, Agricultural Technologies, Fire Technologies, and AI, coupled with conventional trades such as Construction, Welding, Commercial Driving Licensing, and Advanced Manufacturing. To date, AWMH has invested over $13.5 million in the American workforce.
To evaluate the program’s efficiency, the University of Southern California (USC) Sol Price School of Public Policy independently researched and quantified MSI’s impact on the skilled trades and the return on investment (ROI) earlier this year. The research extended into all Year 6 community colleges, covering more than 350 fields of study at these institutions, measuring the cost of completion and anticipated salaries post-graduation.
The key observation is that the ROI—the ratio of the program’s cost to anticipated median wage—across all MSI-supported programs is a very high and cost-efficient 8.3 times. This means that on average, MSI graduates can expect to earn 8.3 times the upfront cost of their program during their first year in the workforce.
Additionally, the research identified some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying fields of study that Metallica Scholars can pursue to achieve lucrative careers in the trades. Among the former are Information Security Analysts, Software Developers, and Occupational Therapy Assistants, while the latter includes Robotics and Mechatronics, Dental Hygienists, and Air Force Controllers.
“2025 is a watershed moment for the Metallica Scholars Initiative,” stated Peter Delgrosso, Executive Director, All Within My Hands. “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 AWMH’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.
Content shared from www.digitalmusicnews.com.