Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide. Among the schools, Victor Valley College has been invited to return for year five and will continue to receive Metallica Scholars funding to enhance career and technical education programs.

The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The workforce initiative marks its fifth year with an ambitious expansion into new curricula. Victor Valley College began receiving support from the Metallica Scholars Initiative in 2021, using the initial funding to help launch a new career pathway focused on creating a pipeline from education to certification to employment within local industries.

MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states, and by the end of this year, it will have helped over 6,000 students pursuing careers in the trades. To date, Metallica and AWMH have invested over $6MM in the American workforce.

Reaffirming a commitment to career and technical education at the local level, each new school brings incredible opportunities to a thriving and growing community.

“The Metallica Scholars Initiative is a strong and cooperative assemblage of the nation’s best community colleges, creating a supportive climate for participants to communicate directly and share best practices,” said AWMH Executive Director Peter Delgrosso. “As a result, our Metallica Scholars leave the program well-trained and confident. Ultimately, the impact is felt locally and nationally as Metallica Scholars enter the workforce and fill in-demand technical positions.”

Victor Valley College developed the Forklift Safety & Operation Certification Program in 2021 to meet the growing demands of the logistics and warehousing industries. Within its first year, 101 students received OSHA10 and forklift industry certifications. Research by San Bernardino County Workforce Development indicates that the regional transportation and warehousing sector experienced incredible job growth over the last five years.

Invited once again to join the Metallica Scholars Initiative in 2022, Victor Valley College utilized grant funding to support over 300 students in their attempt to receive industry certifications. Aiming further to support students interested in obtaining a commercial driver’s license, grant funding sponsored necessary fees for over 20 students in VVC’s Commercial Driver’s License program.

Returning for its third year as a part of the initiative, VVC remains thankful for the partnership from Metallica, the All Within My Hands Foundation, and the American Association of Community Colleges. The program has served a combination of job-seekers, existing VVC students, incumbent workers, veterans, formerly incarcerated, and more.