Shianne Davis-Chairet’s grandmother was a shipyard welder and she wanted to follow in her footsteps.

She was taking welding classes at Clackamas Community College, but the high cost of school supplies and gear was a problem.

“I would grab a few cheap tools when I would get a paycheck, but the list was just too much,” Davis-Chairet said.

Fittingly, a grant from the heavy metal band Metallica helped get her the supplies she needed for her career as a metalworker.

Shianne Davis-Chairet, a 2019 Metallica Scholar. Photo Courtesy of Clackamas Community College.

Davis-Chairet was a recipient of the Metallica Scholars Initiative Grant. The initiative comes from a partnership between Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation and the American Association of Community Colleges, an organization representing more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide.

In 2019, Clackamas Community College, where Davis-Chairet was a student, received a grant to support low-income students enrolled in automotive, industrial technology, and welding programs.

Of the 84 students who received funds, 9% received public assistance and 5% were homeless. Additionally, 8% were single parents and 7% had disabilities.

The Metallica Scholars program had a 90% hiring rate.

For many of the students the costs of supplies and gear needed to participate in classes and get hired can prevent them from getting jobs or completing the program. Welding gear – such as boots, welding helmets and welding aprons – typically runs about $1,200.

“The scholarship helped me get ahead in a way that I could not have done on my own,” said Davis-Chairet.

Davis-Chairet wrote to funders about how the grant affected her life for the better, describing her experiences working as a security guard, wildland firefighter and a kid’s train operator.

“I come from a financially tight family,” said Davis-Chairet. “Very few of my family members can work due to health reasons.”

In 2019, Clackamas Community College collaborated with ICC Northwest, a company that manufacturers mixers, reactors and steel tanks, to develop a paid training program for welding students that would provide an opportunity for work experience.

Davis-Chairet went through the training program at ICC Northwest and got hired. It was, she said, life-changing.

“I can finally get to the point in life where I can be self-sustaining and even help my folks along the way,” said Davis-Chairet.

Clackamas Community College has received a second round of funding for 2020 and anticipates 80 recipients. The college will get $50,000 to provide tools, textbooks, and personal protective equipment. The recipients will also receive professional development advising, help with job and internship placements and funds for travel, books and supplies.

“Our 2019 Metallica Scholars have exceeded expectations and inspired us in more ways than we could have possibly imagined,” Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said in a news release. “We’re really excited to be able to expand the initiative in its second year, assisting more students in achieving their dreams and transforming their lives in 2020.”

-- Piper McDaniel; amcdaniel@oregonian.com; 503-221-4307; @Piperamcdaniel

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.