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News From AWMH

Metallica Scholars Initiative Expands to 75 Schools for Year 7

Metallica Scholars Initiative Expands to 75 Schools for Year 7

JULY 21, 2025

We're proud to announce that Year 7 of our Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) will launch with our largest grant to date, totaling approximately $3M, and fifteen additional schools! Each new school will receive $75,000 to enhance the student experience within career and technical education programs. MSI now has a presence in 75 community colleges across all 50 United States and the territory of Guam, and is expected to reach approximately 10,000 students with the support of our long-time partner, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

“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.”

Robert Trujillo

Launched in 2019  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 $13.5M in the American workforce.

To evaluate the program's efficacy, 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 a program’s cost to anticipated median wage – across all MSI-supported programs is a very high and cost-efficient 8.3X. This means that on average, MSI graduates can expect to earn 8.3X 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 Traffic Controllers.

“2025 is a watershed moment for the Metallica Scholars Initiative. 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.”

Peter Delgrosso, Executive Director
All Within My Hands

Year 7 also marks the renewal of our 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.

It takes a village to achieve these results, including the continued support from many of our long-time corporate partners, notably workwear manufacturers Carhartt, Wolverine, and our newest partner, CNH, a global leader in agricultural and construction equipment. In addition to our corporate partners, we would like to thank our executive and advisory board members and, of course, the Metallica Family, who have staunchly supported AWMH from day one and worked tirelessly to advance our mission.

NEW MSI SCHOOLS

For a complete list of all 75 schools currently supported by AWMH, visit allwithinmyhands.org/metallica-scholars.

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