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Metallica Scholars

Supporting Workforce Education

What Is The Metallica Scholars Initiative?

The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) is a major workforce education program that provides direct support to community colleges to enhance their career and technical education curricula. These courses provide skills and services to students looking to enter a conventional trade or other applied learning program.

“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.”

- James Hetfield

The Evolution of MSI

In 2019, ten colleges from across the country received $100,000 each to support more than 1,000 students training to enter the American workforce. MSI is now in all 50 United States and Guam, supporting roughly 10,000 individuals pursuing meaningful careers. Learn more about how we have grown the program year after year.

  • The Metallica Scholars Initiative Launches with $1M in Grants Across 10 Community Colleges

  • MSI is Renewed with 15 Schools and $1.5M in Funding

  • Expansion Continues as we Welcome Eight New Schools and Grant $1.6M

  • MSI Reaches 32 Schools Across 27 States, Investing $1.8M

  • Now in 42 Schools, MSI will Total 6,000 Students Served by Year's End

  • With Over $10M Invested Since Launch, MSI Now Present in all 50 United States plus Guam

  • $3M Grant Brings MSI to 75 Community Colleges and 10,000 Students

How Are Schools Selected?

AWMH partners with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the primary advocacy organization for the nation's more than 1,000 community colleges, to determine Metallica Scholars grant recipients. Schools are selected through a competitive application process before receiving the award, which is designed to support relevant job skill training for community college students, reinvest in communities that supported Metallica during its recent United States tours, and leverage Metallica's influence to elevate the importance of career and technical education.

See a complete list of schools at the bottom of this page.

Get To Know Our Students

Check out our Scholars Spotlight to meet some students who have shared their stories with us.

They come from different backgrounds and have selected different fields of study, but they share the common goal of investing in their futures for themselves and their families. Read their stories to find out in their own words how the Metallica Scholars funding makes a difference in their lives and educational paths.

We continue to be inspired by each of them and are honored to assist them in their educational pursuits.

Support For Our Scholars

We were fortunate to attract the attention of some major players in the workwear industry, who helped kickstart MSI into the thriving program you see today. Over several years and fundraising campaigns supporting our Metallica Scholars, both Wolverine and Carhartt have established themselves as long-term, invaluable partners, helping us train the skilled trade professionals of tomorrow.

In 2024, the Lowe's Foundation joined our roster of incredible partners contributing significantly to our workforce education program. A natural fit from the start, Lowe's Foundation was already committed to ensuring the next generation of builders can meet the demands of our modern world.

2025 brought a partnership with CNH, a world-class equipment and services company that sustainably advances the noble work of agriculture and construction workers. The work didn't just sync up, so did the mission. CNH has a history of focusing on community improvement and skills development.

What Schools Are Supported?

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