Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) has been notified it will continue as a Metallica Scholars college for Cohort 6. WDTC was selected to join the Metallica Scholars Initiative last year in Cohort 5. WDTC is the only technical college in South Dakota to receive this designation and grant funding to reduce financial barriers for students in several career programs.
Last year, The Metallica Scholars Initiative helped 241 of WDTC students with supplies, laptops, tools, textbooks, admissions testing costs. WDTC plans to utilize the funds for the 2024-2025 school year to assist students in some programs with toolkits, to help reduce needs-based barriers that could deter prospective students from attending.
“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. I am so proud - we all are - to see how this program is changing lives by providing much-needed resources to empower students, and it’s great that we’re able to make our biggest grant yet to support these students and the future workforce. We are reaching even further for year six of the Metallica Scholars Initiative. This year, our program will be in 60 schools in all 50 states! All thanks to your support.
-James ‘Papa Het’ Hetfield
“The Metallica Scholars Initiative is incredible. The program allows us to provide support directly to students so they can focus on their education and getting into amazing technical careers. We are honored to be a Metallica Scholars college,” said Chandra Calvert, Director of Industry Relations & Grant Management.
Launched in 2019 by All Within My Hands in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), MSI began with 10 colleges and primarily manufacturing programs. With steady development by creative and dedicated leadership, MSI offers diverse workforce opportunities for students interested in gaining the skills and training necessary to find meaningful and well-paying careers. Additional curricula will include construction, healthcare, and engineering, contributing to more than 25 fields of study offered within the Initiative. To date, AWMH has invested over $10.5M in the American workforce, reaffirming a commitment to career and technical education at the local level.
“I am happy to congratulate the newest Metallica Scholarship Initiative colleges. The sustained investment in workforce education by the All Within My Hands Foundation has benefitted thousands of community college students,” said Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of AACC. “This work helps to advance skills education and the nation’s workforce pipeline. We are honored to continue this partnership to provide critical resources that eliminate barriers for students to participate in skills education programs that lead to family-sustaining wage careers.”
By the end of year six, we estimate that we will have helped more than 8,000 students with a wide range of backgrounds and ages gain skills to assist in finding meaningful jobs and careers. Metallica Scholars are often considered non-traditional students, as many have families they support or are the first in their families to pursue a college education. AWMH and AACC aim to connect students to skill-building opportunities and bridge the talent needs of the American workforce, all while utilizing the community college system, which is the most affordable, flexible, and industry-relevant applied-learning training provider in the country.
“Metallica, through their foundation, is changing how people view and engage with the trades in this country, and it is working,” stated Peter Delgrosso, Executive Director of All Within My Hands. “Metallica Scholars are diverse, motivated, and ambitious, and we are here to help them reach their goals. I am so proud and honored to be able to announce entrance into all 50 states as this is a significant milestone for not only our foundation but the incredible community we have helped foster and connect.”
We would like to thank our long-time sponsors and partners – Carhartt and Wolverine – our advisory board members, and to the Metallica Family who have supported AWMH and helped to continue growing this Initiative.
Newly added Metallica Scholar colleges:
Arkansas Northeastern College - Blytheville, Ark.
Bismarck State College - Bismarck, N.D.
College of Southern Nevada - Las Vegas, Nev.
College of Western Idaho - Nampa, Ind.
Community College of Allegheny County - Pittsburgh, Pa.
Community College of Rhode Island - Montpelier, Vt.
Community College of Vermont - Warwick, R.I.
Community College System of New Hampshire - Concord, N.H.
CT State Asnuntuck - Enfield, Conn.
Delaware Technical Community College - Dover, Del.
Eastern Maine Community College - Bangor, Maine
Flathead Valley Community College - Kalispell, Mont.
Guam Community College - Barrigada, Guam
Honolulu Community College - Honolulu, Hawaii
Ivy Tech Fort Wayne/Warsaw Campus - Fort Wayne, Ind.
Tulsa Community College - Tulsa, Okla.
University of Alaska-Anchorage - Anchorage, Alaska
*West Georgia Technical College - Waco, Ga.
*Pending AACC Membership
For a complete list of all 60 colleges currently supported by AWMH, visit allwithinmyhands.org/metallica-scholars.
About All Within My Hands
All Within My Hands (AWMH) is a non-profit, philanthropic organization conceived by the members and management of Metallica and dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services. 100% of donations go directly to local organizations that the Foundation supports. To date, All Within My Hands’ collective efforts have raised over $15M— providing $8.2M in grants to career and technical education programs, over $3.6M to combat food insecurity, and more than $3.5M to disaster relief efforts. To learn more about All Within My Hands, Visit AllWithinMyHands.org and follow us on Instagram, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
About AACC
As the voice of the nation’s community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), delivers educational and economic opportunity for more than 10 million diverse students in search of the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC’s member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers, and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver on the mission of increasing economic mobility for all. For more information, visit https://www.aacc.nche.edu/.
About Western Dakota Technical College
WDTC offers nearly 40 programs in a variety of fields, including Business and Computers, Construction and Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Technologies, Health Sciences, Legal and Public Services, and Transportation Technologies.
Ninety-nine percent of Western Dakota Technical College's most recent graduates are working, continuing their education, or are enlisted in the military per the WDTC 2023 Placement Report. There were 353 respondents out of 399 graduates surveyed. [Placement information is derived from graduate surveys, faculty-collected data, placement surveys started six months after graduation, and the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Overall placement rate is figured by: (responding graduates employed, continuing education, or in military service)/(responding graduates who are seeking employment). The number of program graduates are unduplicated by CIP code.]
Western Dakota Technical College faculty, staff, and administration focus their efforts on helping students gain the skills and experiences they need to succeed. Through hands-on learning, internships, and industry partnerships, Western Dakota Tech students graduate ready to make a real and immediate contribution to their employers and to their communities.
For information about WDTC, call (800) 544-8765 or (605) 718-2565 or send an email to Admissions@wdt.edu. Visit us on the web at wdt.edu.
