Every night on tour, James Hetfield screams into a sold-out arena. Somewhere else, a community college student is learning to weld on Metallica's dime, and neither one makes the news.

A Foundation Built Quietly

Metallica started the nonprofit All Within My Hands in 2017. Two years later, the foundation launched the Metallica Scholars Initiative, a program that pays for career and technical education at community colleges.

It began small, with just ten schools in 2019, focused mostly on manufacturing training.

A community college student in safety gear welding in a workshop classroom, sparks visible, realistic documentary style — Metallica Scholars funding supports welding and other skilled-trade programs at community colleges.

From 10 Schools to 93

The program grew every year after that. By 2026, it was operating in its eighth year, and the growth had not slowed down.

In June 2026, All Within My Hands announced its largest single grant yet, adding 18 new schools. That brought the Metallica Scholars Initiative to 93 community colleges spread across all 50 states and the territory of Guam.

Thousands of students have passed through the program since it started.

Breaking the Stigma

James Hetfield has talked about why the cause matters to him personally.

"When we launched the Metallica Scholars Initiative, it really spoke to me. A collective goal of breaking the stigma of trade skills."

The grants fund scholarships and equipment for students studying welding and other applied trades, run in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges. Some of the newest schools received funding specifically to buy new training equipment.

Now Crossing the Atlantic

Year 8 also marked a first for the program. All Within My Hands launched its first international expansion, partnering with Capital City College Group in London to bring the Metallica Scholars model to the United Kingdom.

For a band known for arena pyrotechnics and thrash riffs, it is a strange kind of encore: a welding torch, a diploma, and a paycheck that has nothing to do with music.

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