Metropolitan Community College Selected for National Metallica Scholars Initiative
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Metropolitan Community College (MCC) has been selected as one of just 18 institutions
nationwide to join the eighth cohort of the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). Through a $50,000 grant from All Within My Hands, Metallica's nonprofit foundation,
MCC will expand opportunities for students enrolled in its Advanced Technical Skills Institute (ATSI).
ATSI prepares students for high-demand, high-wage careers through hands-on training in welding, construction, precision machining, HVAC, electrical technology and industrial maintenance. The program partners with local employers to equip students with the technical skills and industry credentials needed to strengthen the Kansas City region's workforce.
"Every skilled trade begins with someone willing to invest in potential," said Dr. Kimberly Beatty, MCC Chancellor and CEO. "Thanks to the Metallica Scholars Initiative, students from Kansas City's urban core are turning determination into opportunity and building careers that will strengthen our workforce for years to come. We are honored to partner with an organization that believes in the power of education, hard work and creating opportunities where they are needed most."
The Metallica Scholars Initiative, launched in 2019 by All Within My Hands in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), supports workforce education programs that prepare students for in-demand careers. With the addition of MCC and 17 other colleges, the initiative now includes 93 colleges across the United States and is expanding internationally to the United Kingdom later this year.
Since its launch, the initiative has supported more than 13,000 community college students nationwide, helping them gain the skills needed for family-sustaining careers in the skilled trades and other high-demand industries.
Founded in 1915, Metropolitan Community College serves more than 17,000 students annually through credit and non-credit programs, offering more than 120 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as its first bachelor's degree, while preparing students to meet the workforce needs of the Kansas City region.