Gateway Technical College Gets $100,000 Grant from...Metallica!

Gateway Technical College recently picked up a $100,000 grant from…wait for it…Metallica. Yup. Metallica…the hard rock band. Beginning next semester---Gateway will offer a restructured 7-credit telecom cabling certification course at a highly reduced cost to students as a result of that grant from Metallica’s “All Within My Hands” Foundation. Telecom cabling is among the service jobs in demand as communities rely on infrastructure for phone, computer networking and Internet access, among others.

The program has been offered as a 12-week “boot camp” style course meeting from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. A Gateway spokesperson said the course structure posed a challenge for many students---so now---under Metallica’s foundation grant, the college will be offering it in an “on-demand” format---which will allow students to take the course at their own pace.  It provides 90 percent of the funding for tuition, books, materials and placement examination fees. The funding will also cover the use of a Chromebook for each student through the end of the course which includes fire stopping, telecom safety and installation, certified customer service and applied math.

The year-long grant will be able to cover about 30 students.