(L-R) are David Calder, vice president design engineering, Calder Brothers; Jonn Harris, senior plant manager, Calder Brothers; Glen Calder, vice president operations, Calder Brothers; and Brad Dill, director of J Harley Bonds Career Center.

Calder Brothers Corporation has received the "Work-Based Learning Business Partner of the Year" from the Greenville County School system, in South Carolina.

For the past year, Calder Brothers participated in the Work Based Learning program, where students apply skills learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios. Jonn Harris, senior plant manager at Calder Brothers Corporation, helped implement the Work Based program into Calder Brother's Taylors, S.C., facility.

"Initially, the work-based educational program through Greenville County was seen as another recruitment tool to find quality workers to fill our growing need for skilled employees — welders, machinists, painters, etc. — As the relationship has developed, we have embraced a much bigger role of mentoring young people as they develop a career in their chosen path.

"Mentoring students from work-based education programs have helped attract, motivate and develop employees for Calder Brothers Corporation. Businesses implement mentoring programs to increase productivity, and therefore revenues. However, when we implement our mentoring programs, the sharing of knowledge has become an inherent quality, and the result is an increase in student learning.

"Naturally, we would like to see our work-based students build a long career with us. However, all of us at Calder Brothers view this as our obligation and opportunity to give back to the community by helping these young people find their way in life."

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