Metallica awards $100,000 to Valencia College through their Metallica Scholars initiative

Thrash metal godfathers Metallica have awarded $100,000 to Valencia College as part of their Metallica Scholars initiative. And yes, every bit of that sentence is amazingly true.

We know what you're thinking, and no, this is not a music education grant. The Metallica Scholars workforce education initiative started in 2018 through Metallica's nonprofit foundation All Within My Hands to give deserving students financial assistance in pursuing technical education and trade programs. Heavy machinery, meet heavy metal, in other words.

This year, the program expanded to include funds disbursed to 15 schools all around the country.

In partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, Metallica Scholars has a solid track record thus far. More than 700 Metallica Scholars have completed their respective programs and certification tracks so far, with a nearly 95 percent job placement rate.

Metallica frontman James Hetfield summed up the goals of this initiative very directly:

The fact that you’re working, trying to work, trying to find the path that works best for you – that should be the ultimate goal and most respected thing. So, putting the options out there for people: trade schools, community colleges, even [helping provide] gas money to get to and from school – there are many things you can help with.

Locally, this financial gift will go toward scholarships for around 25  students, "providing them with short-term training in construction trade," in particular heavy equipment and welding, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

It's been a busy week on the Metallica nonprofit front, as All Within My Hands also awarded $295,000 to a number of organizations involved in coronavirus relief work, including MusiCares, Live Nation’s Crew Nation and the Bartender Emergency Assistance Program. Never a bad word about the Lulu album out of our mouths again …

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