Metallica pledges $1M to career training program

Yes, that’s a “1” with six zeros behind it.

The Bay Area based metal band announced Tuesday that its All Within My Hands Foundation (AWMH) is launching a “workforce education initiative” intended to help community colleges to “enhance their career and technical education programs,” according to a news release.

These are programs aimed at helping students who are pursuing “a traditional trade or other applied learning program.”

“All of us in the band feel fortunate that music has provided us the opportunity to be successful doing something we are passionate about,” said drummer Lars Ulrich. “We want to share our success with others so that they can find a job where they can do the same.”

The program will award $100,000 grants to 10 colleges across the country, with the goal being to help more than 1,000 students gain training to enter the workforce. “These students will become the first cohort of Metallica Scholars,” the band said in the news release.

Foundation executive director Dr. Edward Frank said the new workforce training program would join AWMH’s existing campaigns fighting hunger and supporting emergency community aid.

“The goal of our Metallica Scholars Initiative is to improve career opportunities for community college students in the trades,” he said.

“Equally, we hope to raise the awareness of the tremendous importance, value and impact of the education provided by our nation’s community college system,” Frank said. “The foundation and the band are thrilled by the quality of proposals we received from these colleges, and are excited to do our part to help educate students so that they have the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying jobs in their communities.”

The band has partnered with American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) on the project. Association president and CEO Walter G. Bumphus said the program will be a boon to employers as well job-seekers.

“These programs are responsive to the needs of local businesses and provide a pipeline of qualified workers to local industry,” he said. “For Metallica to see the benefit of these programs and invest in the communities that have supported them is a testament to the power of education and we are proud to do this work with them.”

The 10 colleges top receive grants — none in Northern California — are:

Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, North Carolina

Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, Oregon

College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois

Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland

Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Lone Star College, The Woodlands, Texas

North Idaho College, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Spokane Community College, Spokane, Washington

Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, Wichita, Kansas

For more information about All Within My Hands, visit www.allwithinmyhands.org.