GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) has received another grant from Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation. The grant will be used to help nontraditional students gain welding skills.
The goal of the grant is to help Grand Rapids Community College continue a program that is aimed at underserved community members. The program gives them career skills and hands-on welding experience. Students also participate in site visits, employee panels, and mentoring to help them decide if welding is a good fit for them. More than 100 students have earned certificates through the program.
Grand Rapids Community College is one of 32 colleges that were included in the program. It was also one of the first 10 colleges to be supported by the program when it began in 2018. GRCC is currently the only college in Michigan that is included in the program.
The band Metallica currently consists of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, and Lars Ulrich. The band’s first studio album Kill ‘Em All was released in 1983. The band’s other albums include 1991’s Metallica, 1997’s Reload, and 2003’s St. Anger. Their latest album Hardwired… to Self-Destruct was released in 2016.
“Our goal for the Metallica Scholars Initiative is to shine a light on workforce education and support the next generation of tradespeople,” said All Within My Hands Executive Director Pete Delgrosso. “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.”
“We’re proud that Metallica and its foundation continue to invest in GRCC and our students,” said John Van Elst, interim executive director of Workforce Training. “When you provide someone with a new set of skills, you’re doing more than helping them get a new job. You’re changing their lives.”
