(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Metallica seems to have a love for Michigan, as the metal band is investing in a local community’s colleges welding program for a fourth year. The funds help non-traditional students get real-life training in welding.

The grant comes from Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation, “a non-profit, philanthropic organization created by the members and management of Metallica, dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services,” according to a statement. The funds are going to Grand Rapids Community College’s welding program, which has has invested a whopping $185,000 in the program over the past four years, according to a release from the college. More than than 100 students have earned certificates through the program since its start in 2018.

Grand Rapids Community College is the only Michigan school to receive Metallica’s grant. “We’re proud that Metallica and its foundation continue to invest in GRCC and our students,” John Van Elst, interim executive director of Workforce Training, said in a statement. “When you provide someone with a new set of skills, you’re doing more than helping them get a new job. You’re changing the course of their lives.”

According to Pete Delgrosso, executive director of All Within My Hands, the objective of the program is to assist future tradespeople. “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,” Delgrosso said in a statement. “We are honored to support these students of all ages and backgrounds and look forward to growing the program even farther in the future.”

For more information on Grand Rapids Community College’s Metallica Scholars welding program, head to the college’s website here.

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Anne Erickson's love for music drew her into radio. She started on the airwaves shortly after graduating from MSU. Anne has a passion for rock and metal, and she also fronts the band Upon Wings. Email Anne at erickson@WRIF.com, follow her on Instagram at @EricksonAnne and tweet at her @AnneErickson! Anne covers the Detroit, Philadelphia and Las Vegas markets and beyond.

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