Photo courtesy of Carhartt
Skilled laborers and tradespeople have long been the backbone of America, shaping the economic health and hard-working spirit of the country. However, the United States continues to face a widening skilled labor shortage, with young workers experiencing societal barriers to entering the trades, as 79 percent of young Americans say their parents want them to pursue a college education after high school and only 5 percent say the same about vocational school.
Carhartt, America's iconic workwear brand, is continuing to help eliminate barriers and close the skilled trades gap this Labor Day by dedicating its Fall 2024 "For the Love of Labor" grant to support Metallica's All Within My Hands Foundation and its Metallica Scholars Initiative.
Created by the members and management of Metallica, All Within My Hands is a non-profit, philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting workforce education by connecting future workers with trade programs in their local community.
Carhartt's For the Love of Labor grant donation will benefit the foundation's Metallica Scholars program to support 60 community colleges across all 50 states — including the 18 new schools that joined the program in July 2024.
Funding provided by Carhartt will support not only school tuition at local community colleges, but also wraparound services like childcare and transportation to eliminate barriers that may prevent candidates from pursuing skilled trades education.
"The Metallica Scholars Initiative was born from our collective passion to dismantle the stigma associated with the skilled trades, and we are so proud of how this program is changing lives across the nation," said Metallica's Lars Ulrich. "The importance of skilled trades education cannot be overstated, and we are immensely grateful for organizations like Carhartt that are making a meaningful difference by breaking down barriers and investing in the future of skilled labor."
Through All Within My Hands' partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, the Metallica Scholars Initiative is uniquely positioned to provide direct support to enhance career and technical education programs at a local level and help foster stronger pathways for workers to develop the skills needed to enter a traditional trade or other applied learning program.
Now entering its sixth year, the Metallica Scholars initiative has impacted the lives of approximately 6,000 students, contributing to 30 fields of study and investing over $10.5 million to-date to support America's skilled workforce.
"All Within My Hands and Carhartt share a common mission to strengthen communities by closing the skilled trades gap," said Todd Corley, senior vice president of inclusion, sustainability and community at Carhartt. "Skilled trades education can be the start of a life-changing career path, and when workers and their families are taken care of, they are able to invest themselves back into their communities. We are proud to support the organizations that are inspiring the next generation of workers from diverse backgrounds by showing them how they can make their own history through the skilled trades."
This isn't the first time Carhartt and All Within My Hands have teamed up to support workforce development within the skilled trades. In March 2024, the workwear brand donated all proceeds from Carhartt.com, Reworked.Carhartt.com and all of its retail locations to All Within My Hands on International Women's Day to foster stronger pathways for women to enter the skilled trades.
Timed with Labor Day in 2021, the two like-minded partners also collaborated on a nationwide campaign, "Hard Rock is Hard Work," aimed to recruit a new generation of workers to the trades, in live events — such as concerts — and beyond.
Since its inception in Aug. 2020, Carhartt's For the Love of Labor grant program has received hundreds of applications and awarded 24 grants — totaling nearly $2.7 million — to eligible U.S.-based 501©3 designated organizations in recognized apprenticeship industries that serve at least 100 individuals annually.
With Carhartt's funding, recipient organizations have been able to provide hardworking participants with durable gear, tools, childcare and transportation. Several recipient organizations also have added new programs, instructors, resources and ultimately, graduated more apprenticeship students that are equipped to close the country's skilled trades gap.
For more information, visit Carhartt.com/isc-hub and AllWithinMyHands.org.
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