
The Lowe’s Foundation is partnering with Metallica’s All Within My Hands and its Metallica Scholar Initiative, providing a $500,000 donation to support the expansion of the foundation’s nationwide skilled trades training for community college students.
The donation from the Lowe’s Foundation will benefit hundreds of students at five community colleges, helping fund training, equipment, recruiting, and wraparound services. The donation complements the Lowe’s Foundation’s roster of Gable Grants recipients, which includes 11 other community colleges.
“Partnering with programs like the Metallica Scholars Initiative is key to the Lowe’s Foundation’s efforts to ensure the next generation of builders can meet the demands of our modern world,” Janic Dupré, Lowe’s executive vice president of human resources and chair of the Lowe’s Foundation, said. “As we bring our shared goal to life and strengthen the skilled trades pipeline, we’re excited to see students unlocking their full potential through these transformative careers.”
The community colleges supported by the donation include:
- Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., which will use the funding to support training for HVAC, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing careers.
- College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill., which will use funding to recruit and retain a cohort of students training to join the local manufacturing workforce.
- San Juan College in Farmington, N.M., which will use the funding to support students in traditional construction programs and automotive technology.
- Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City, S.D., which will use funding to cover tuition, textbooks, tools, and student services in its construction and plumbing programs.
- Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee, Ill., which will use its funding to support hands-on career exploration and scholarships while it promotes heavy metal careers.
“Now entering its sixth year, the Metallica Scholars Initiative is an exceptional program focused on workforce education that has proven to be a galvanizing force across the community college ecosystem,” Peter Delgrosso, executive director of All Within My Hands, said. “We are honored to partner with the Lowe’s Foundation to grow the trades while positively impacting many lives.”
The investment is part of the Lowe’s Foundation’s five year, $50 million commitment to support the training of 50,000 people for skilled trades careers.