[Annandale, Va.] – Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) was selected from a competitive, national field of community colleges to receive $100,000 to transform the future of students in the region. Funded by Metallica’s All Within My Hands (AWMH) Foundation and led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Metallica Scholars Initiative was designed to directly support students while also elevating the importance of career and technical education. This work is highlighted at a global level by leveraging the influence of Metallica (the heavy metal band) who continues to speak out on the importance of professional trades and community colleges.
The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) is now in its third year and has fundamentally improved the earning potential for students who become Metallica Scholars. With this funding, NOVA intends to provide resources to students who are pursuing a career in healthcare. Specifically, this program will support students starting their career in NOVA’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program. Cost is often a barrier for students and the generous support through MSI will enable students to access additional services to achieve their career goals and earn an entry-level credential that will lead to an in-demand job in a high-growth industry.
“Our region saw nearly 9,100 job postings for healthcare positions last quarter. This data highlights the critical need to grow the regional talent pipeline,” said Steven Partridge, vice president of strategy, research and workforce innovation at NOVA. “We are honored to partner with Metallica, AWMH and AACC to expand training opportunities and remove barriers to enable more individuals to pursue their career in healthcare.”
James Hetfield, Metallica’s vocalist/guitarist and co-founder said, “As a touring entity, we are in direct involvement with multiple essential career choices along our path--from electrical, professional driving, culinary, mechanical, maintenance, public safety, logistical organizers; and that just scratches the surface--those, along with a multitude of other technical careers, make our touring and our performances possible. We are passionate and grateful to these trades and tradespeople.”
“The foundation and the band pay attention and follow these programs and students, and there is no doubt that lives have been changed. What makes this work so unique is that, in addition to supporting students directly, our goal is not just to change individual lives, it is to unabashedly promote the trades as meaningful and well-paying career pathways. We are not afraid to be loud or to dig in on things we believe in, and we believe in these students,” said Dr. Edward Frank, executive director of AWMH.
“We are proud to work with Metallica to advance the career and technical education provided by the nation’s community colleges,” said Walter G. Bumphus, AACC’s president and CEO. “Colleges across the country provide pathways to well-paying jobs through programs, services and training that lead to in-demand skills, certificates and degrees for students. These programs are responsive to the needs of local businesses and provide a pipeline of qualified workers to local industry. It’s a win-win for our students and the local economy. For Metallica to continue to invest in these students and communities is a testament to the power of the workforce education community colleges provide and we are proud to do this work with them.”
The MSI sites to date are:
- Northwest-Shoals Community College, Muscle Shoals, Alabama
- Pima County Community College, Tucson, Arizona
- Hartnell College, Salinas, California
- Victor Valley College, Victorville, California
- Polk State College, Winter Haven, Florida
- Valencia College, Orlando, Florida
- North Idaho College, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
- Clinton Community College, Clinton, Iowa
- College of Lake County, Grayslake, Illinois
- Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology, Wichita, Kansas
- Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, Elizabethtown, Kentucky
- Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
- Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Central Community College, Grand Island, Nebraska
- Westchester Community College, Valhalla, New York
- Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Clackamas Community College, Oregon City, Oregon
- Columbia Gorge Community College, The Dalles, Oregon
- Lone Star College, The Woodlands, Texas
- Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, Virginia
- Spokane Community College, Spokane, Washington
- Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, Wisconsin
- West Virginia University Parkersburg, Parkersburg, West Virginia
Media Contact: Hoang Nguyen | hdnguyen@nvcc.edu