Metallica Scholars Initiative continues for 5th year at ECTC

Published on Jul 30, 2024

For the fifth year, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College has earned a place in the prestigious Metallica Scholars Initiative. Joining in 2020, the initiative’s second year, ECTC is the only Kentucky college included.

All Within My Hands (AWMH), the non-profit, philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica, is incredibly proud to announce the largest expansion of its Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) and its largest grant to date. With the launch of year six, 18 new colleges join the roster of existing MSI community colleges, with each new college receiving $75,000 to enhance the student experience within career and technical education programs. The Metallica Scholars Initiative now has a presence in 60 colleges across all 50 United States and the territory of Guam.

Throughout ECTC’s participation in MSI, the college has used the grant to fund scholarships for advanced manufacturing and commercial driver’s license students; helped develop the Wherever I May Roam Truck Driving Academy; and provided tuition assistance to military students in the Advanced Manufacturing Army Career Skills Program. This year, funds will support students in advanced manufacturing programs, including $4,000 in scholarships.

“We are honored to be a Metallica Scholars college and thankful for the pride it has brought our students,” said Technical Division Chair and Professor Tim Cordova. “Scholarship funds certainly are important to our students, but for many recipients, being named a Metallica Scholar at ECTC is affirmation that they can be successful and that choosing to pursue an education and career in advanced manufacturing was the right decision.”

ECTC’s advanced manufacturing programs include industrial maintenance, welding technology, computerized manufacturing and machining, electrical technology, engineering and electronics technology, air conditioning technology and computer aided drafting and design.

“We’re proud to build on the success of the Metallica Scholars Initiative at ECTC as we prepare students for the high-demand advanced manufacturing career opportunities right here in our region,” said ECTC President Dr. Juston Pate. “This grant is a powerful tool in connecting students with employers seeking highly skilled talent.”

James “Papa Het” Hetfield, Metallica’s lead vocalist and guitarist, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative's growth: “When we launched the Metallica Scholars Initiative, it really spoke to me. A collective goal of breaking the stigma of trade skills. Trade skills are vital to society, and what’s even more important is to support the many folks who are trying to create a career by learning and using these skills. I am so proud - we all are - to see how this program is changing lives by providing much-needed resources to empower students, and it’s great that we’re able to make our biggest grant yet to support these students and the future workforce. We are reaching even further for year six of the Metallica Scholars Initiative. This year, our program will be in 60 schools in all 50 states! All thanks to your support.”

Launched in 2019 by All Within My Hands in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), MSI began with 10 colleges and primarily manufacturing programs. With steady development by creative and dedicated leadership, MSI offers diverse workforce opportunities for students interested in gaining the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying careers. Additional curricula will include construction, healthcare, and engineering, contributing to more than 25 fields of study offered within the Initiative. To date, AWMH has invested over $10.5M in the American workforce, reaffirming a commitment to career and technical education at the local level.

“I am happy to congratulate the newest Metallica Scholarship Initiative colleges. The sustained investment in workforce education by the All Within My Hands Foundation has benefitted thousands of community college students,” said Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of AACC. “This work helps to advance skills education and the nation’s workforce pipeline. We are honored to continue this partnership to provide critical resources that eliminate barriers for students to participate in skills education programs that lead to family-sustaining wage careers.”

By the end of year six, MSI estimates that it will have helped more than 8,000 students with a wide range of backgrounds and ages gain skills to assist in finding meaningful jobs and careers. Metallica Scholars are often considered non-traditional students, as many have families they support or are the first in their families to pursue a college education. AWMH and AACC aim to connect students to skill-building opportunities and bridge the talent needs of the American workforce, all while utilizing the community college system, which is the most affordable, flexible, and industry-relevant applied-learning training provider in the country.

“Metallica, through their foundation, is changing how people view and engage with the trades in this country, and it is working,” stated Peter Delgrosso, executive director of All Within My Hands. “Metallica Scholars are diverse, motivated, and ambitious, and we are here to help them reach their goals. I am so proud and honored to be able to announce entrance into all 50 states as this is a significant milestone for not only our foundation but the incredible community we have helped foster and connect.”

For a complete list of all 60 colleges currently supported by AWMH, visit allwithinmyhands.org/metallica-scholars.