CDA Reporter

North Idaho College returns for the fourth year as part of the Metallica Scholar program to receive $10,000 to transform the future of students in the community.

The NIC Foundation is also matching the $10,000 grant, which NIC was selected to receive through a competitive process involving community colleges across the nation.

NIC has been involved in the Metallica Scholars Initiative since its inception in 2019, and the scholarship program has provided 171 scholarships for 156 NIC students. Through the program, $200,000 has been granted, with $189,600 of that going directly to students in NIC Career and Technical Education programs as scholarships. The NIC Foundation has also provided an additional $63,000 in scholarships funds as part of grant-matching requirements from the program.

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 U.S. 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,” said Pete Delgrosso, executive director of All Within My Hands. “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.”

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. NIC will focus its efforts on supporting students and building vital workforce connections. The college’s goal is to elevate students’ skill sets by meeting industry standards, and raising the level of academic programs offered.

Funded by Metallica’s All Within My Hands (AWMH) and led by the American Association of Community Colleges (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 ten schools 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

The newly added community colleges are joining an already established core of 22 schools that have been invited to continue as a Metallica Scholars school. Each year the returning colleges play an integral role in onboarding, to help the new schools hit the ground running.

The returning schools are:

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

est Virginia University Parkersburg - Parkersburg, West Virginia

Westchester Community College – Westchester, New York

WSU Tech – Wichita, Kansas

The 32 colleges across the country are encouraged to use the AWMH grant as the local industry dictates in terms of program and training. To provide skilled and educated tradespeople ready for the local workforce, Metallica Scholars programs include:

Automation and Robotics

Automotive Technology

Aviation

Computer-Aided Drafting & Design

Computerized Manufacturing (CNC)

Construction Technology & Carpentry

Diesel Technology

Electrical Engineering

Healthcare

Heating & Ventilation (HVAC)

Heavy Equipment Operator

Hospitality

Industrial Maintenance Technology

Manufacturing & Machining

Mechanical Design

Mechatronics Engineering

Process Technology

Trucking

Welding

For more information about the Metallica Scholar Initiative at NIC, visit nic.edu/metallica or contact NIC Director of Work-Based Learning Patrick O’Halloran at (208) 676-7145 or Patrick.o’halloran@nic.edu. 

Original source can be found here.