Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) returns for the third year as part of the Metallica Scholars program to receive $25,000 to transform the future of students in the community.
Since establishing the Metallica Scholars Initiative in 2019, All Within My Hands (AWMH) has been working with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to provide direct support for career and technical education programs across the US. Having grown from a concept to a thriving educational strategy that focuses on enhancing skills while providing services to students looking to enter a traditional trade or other applied learning program, the Metallica Scholars Initiative has generated a proven and measurable impact. AWMH will replicate the program further by adding ten more schools to the roster, investing $1.8 million to expand in year four.
“Our goal for the Metallica Scholars Initiative is to shine a light on workforce education and support the next generation of tradespeople. With the addition of the 2022-2023 Metallica Scholars program, our grants will reach over 2,000 men and women in 32 community colleges across 27 states. We are honored to support these students of all ages and backgrounds and look forward to growing the program even farther in the future,” said Pete Delgrosso, Executive Director, All Within My Hands.
Direct impact on job and wage growth drives the Metallica Scholars Initiative. On average, students who complete the program see new job opportunities and increased salary potential up to three times higher than pre-program.
In the first two years of the Metallica Scholars Initiative at ECTC, the college was awarded $150,000. The funds provided scholarships to students in advanced manufacturing and commercial driver’s license programs and also helped develop the Ride the Lightning mobile technical training unit. This year, ECTC will focus its efforts on providing tuition assistance to military students in the Advanced Manufacturing Army Career Skills Program (CSP). Through a partnership with Fort Knox, the CSP offers training to transitioning soldiers so they are certified to begin careers in advanced manufacturing – a highly sought-after and high-earning industry.
“As our work with AWMH, AACC and Metallica progresses into its third year, we continue to see the positive impact this partnership has had on our students and the community,” said ECTC President Dr. Juston Pate. “Through their support, we have been able to change the lives of students for the better. We look forward to seeing the impact the Metallica Scholars Initiative will have on transitioning soldiers and our region’s employers seeking expertly trained, highly skilled employees.”
Funded by Metallica’s AWMH and led by the AACC, the Metallica Scholars Initiative is designed to directly support students while elevating the importance of career and technical education. Metallica continues to use its global platform to speak out on the dignity of professional trades and community colleges that prepare students.
Working closely with the AACC, a Washington D.C.-based advocate for not-for-profit, public-serving institutions, AWMH has selected ten schools to receive $100,000 each to transform the future of students in their communities. The extensive proposal process received an incredible amount of interest, and the applications were of the highest quality. Each of the ten institutions chosen intends to prioritize students interested in the skilled trades as a pathway to economic development.
“The Metallica Scholars program has proven to provide significant resources for community college students looking to learn the skills needed for today’s workforce,” said Walter G. Bumphus, AACC’s president and CEO. “We are honored to partner with the All Within My Hands Foundation to continue to expand this opportunity for community colleges and their students.”
The MSI schools to date are:
- Clark State Community College – Springfield, Ohio
- East Central College – Union, Missouri
- Guilford Technical Community College – Jamestown, North Carolina
- Hudson County Community College – Jersey City, New Jersey
- Middlesex Community College -Lowell, Massachusetts
- Milwaukee Area Technical College – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College – Perkinston, Mississippi
- Rockland Community College – Suffern, New York
- Salt Lake Community College – Salt Lake City, Utah
- San Juan College – Farmington, New Mexico
- Central Community College – Grand Island, Nebraska
- Central Piedmont Community College – Charlotte, North Carolina
- Clackamas Community College – Oregon City, Oregon
- Clinton Community College – Clinton, Iowa
- College of Lake County – Grayslake, Illinois
- Columbia Gorge Community College – The Dalles, Oregon
- Community College of Baltimore County – Baltimore, Maryland
- Elizabethtown Community and Technical College – Elizabethtown, Kentucky
- Gateway Technical College – Kenosha, Wisconsin
- Grand Rapids Community College – Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Lone Star College – Houston, Texas
- North Idaho College – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
- Northern Virginia Community College – Annandale, Virginia
- Northwest-Shoals Community College – Muscle Shoals, Alabama
- Pima County Community College – Tucson, Arizona
- Polk State College – Winter Haven, Florida
- Spokane Community College, Spokane, Washington
- Valencia College – Orlando, Florida
- Victor Valley College – Victorville, California
- West Virginia University Parkersburg – Parkersburg, West Virginia
- Westchester Community College – Westchester, New York
- WSU Tech – Wichita, Kansas
To learn more about CSP, visit https://elizabethtown.kctcs.edu/education-training/army-career-skills-program.aspx. To learn more about the Metallica Scholars Initiative, visit AllWithinMyHands.org/Metallica-Scholars.
Release by Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
