Horizon Goodwill Awards Business Partner of the Year to Schroeder Industries
(Hagerstown, Maryland, May 2023) Schroeder Industries was named “Business Partner of the Year” at Horizon Goodwill Industries’ (HGI) 68th Annual Power of Work Awards. The event, held in Hagerstown on May 3, 2023, is scheduled annually to coincide with National Goodwill Week.
The Power of Work Awards recognizes HGI’s participants’ and community partners’ hard work, dedication, and mission support each year. These individuals and businesses embody the HGI Mission of Removing Barriers to Social Mobility for employment throughout their four-state territory.
This year, nearly 150 people were in attendance including local officials, program participants, staff, representatives from partnering organizations, and community members.
The Business Partner of the Year award recognizes a business or organization that has partnered with Horizon Goodwill Industries through a contract relationship, which significantly benefits HGI clients by providing work opportunities for the individuals we serve.
Schroeder Industries has partnered with Horizon Goodwill Industries to provide paid work training opportunities for program participants to develop job skills and habits in a real work environment. These experiences are designed to help prepare individuals for competitive employment while also strengthening their work history. Maintaining close communication with HGI’s workforce development team, Schroeder staff share frequent performance feedback and assist program participants in achieving their paid work training goals.
“Out of the four program participants, we converted two to full-time employment with us this year.” Schroeder Industries Human Resources Generalist Sherry Alt stated.
“We found the experience a win-win for the participants, us, and Horizon Goodwill. We believe in giving second chances to individuals allowing opportunities to gain workforce experience, better themselves, and become productive employees for us as well. Horizon Goodwill has fostered an environment of breaking barriers to employment for their participants. We are proud to have been part of the process and look forward to working with them in the future.” She added.
So far, Schroeder has provided five program participants the opportunity to complete 90 days of paid work training and has offered additional temporary labor position opportunities to four program participants that successfully completed the paid training program. Schroeder has also provided gas stipend bonuses – added to each paycheck – for program participants that reached weekly attendance goals.