Industry partners honored for inspiring future workforce leaders

Special to The Canton News 

The Canton Career Center is recognizing several local industry professionals for helping provide students with hands-on career exploration opportunities during the school’s Non-Traditional Industry Tour held recently.

The tour focused on exposing students to career pathways in automotive and collision repair industries while highlighting opportunities for young women interested in pursuing non-traditional career fields.

Industry leaders welcomed students into their workplaces, shared professional experiences and offered insight into careers that play an important role in the local workforce.

Those recognized for their participation include Marilyn Bolden, owner of Bolden Body Shop in Jackson; Tanya Bell-Yates, store manager at O’Reilly Auto Parts in Canton; and Tinya Lindsey, commercial specialist at O’Reilly Auto Parts.

Career Center officials said opportunities like the industry tour help connect classroom instruction with real-world applications, allowing students to see firsthand how skills learned in school translate into future careers.

School leaders also emphasized the importance of mentorship and community partnerships in preparing students for life after graduation, particularly in fields where women have traditionally been underrepresented.

By opening their doors and investing time in students, local industry professionals helped provide meaningful experiences designed to encourage, inform and inspire the next generation of female workforce leaders.