Looking Out for Everyone Around Him

Corey Franklin’s interest in construction goes back to his childhood. He grew up in Westside Atlanta and occasionally helped an uncle with concrete work, but ended up in a career as an insurance agent. Now a resident of Riverdale, Corey learned about Construction Ready from friends in his old Westside neighborhood. He went through training at the Westside Works location and works for Atlanta-based Waste Water Industrial Solutions (WWIS). Here Corey discusses his career path and the job satisfaction he enjoys in his role as a safety manager for WWIS.

How did you hear about Construction Ready?

Some guys in the neighborhood told me about it. They said, “If you need some work, they have a good program down here.”

What led you to apply for the program?

I wanted to learn about construction and maybe one day open my own construction company. That was the goal. I had an interest in the business of construction ever since I was a kid.

What do you remember about the training experience?

I was in the seventh class. I got sick during the process and had to come back. It took me about three years to get through it. But I thought it was great. I knew that the credentials would put me way ahead than starting out on the ground floor. It puts you in a better light than someone just coming off the street.

What kind of work do you do with WWIS?

I conduct safety meetings and let everyone know about the perils of the job. I monitor and make sure everyone has all their PPE and are following best practices. If there are any incidents or accidents, I fill out the paperwork and investigate what happened.

When I came to the company, there were only two other people who had an OSHA-10 credential. I had that and they saw my work ethic, and we had some conversations about safety. One day my manager said, “One of our guys is leaving the company and we need a safety manager and I think you would be good in that role.”

What do you enjoy about your work in that capacity?

I think the thing I enjoy the most about the work is just keeping people safe. In the two years I’ve been there, we’ve had one incident, but it was very minor. They could have cut a finger completely off, but I had explained to them about cut-resistant gloves and I mandated that everybody have those, and that saved the finger.

I feel like I’m making a difference. Everybody at the end of the day wants to go home safe, so that’s the part I love the most. I know my job is to help people and make sure they make it home safe.

How has Construction Ready helped your career?

Everything started with my foundation in Construction Ready. I wouldn’t have a career in construction if it wasn’t for Construction Ready.