Special to the Times

  Connecting Henry, in partnership with the Georgia Utility Contractors Association, hosted a graduation ceremony and signing day on Thursday, September 24, for two of their newest Work Ready Program graduates, Francis Kwafo and James Ross.

  “I’m thoroughly excited for both of them,” said James Williams, S.W.A.G. Program Director at Connecting Henry. “To see them persevere and triumph despite the pandemic and other setbacks, is tremendous.”

  The Work Ready Program was created by Connecting Henry in 2019 with the goal of providing the students with short-term, industry recognized credentials while providing them with a hands-on learning experience in construction or a relevant maintenance field.

  “It’s for those who want to have more than a job, but a career; to be able to come away with something that they will use for the rest of their lives,” said Williams.

  The students are provided with six weeks of instruction from Connecting Henry covering the basic concepts of maintenance and construction, work safety, math and reading skills, communication skills, employability skills, and job readiness training.

  Following the six weeks of classroom training, the students are given the opportunity to partner with a company or organization in the Georgia Utility Contractors Association to fulfill their additional six weeks of hands-on training.

  Diversified Utility Services partnered with Connecting Henry for the first time during this class iteration and provided Kwafo and Ross with a hands-on, paid work experience in the underground utility industry.

  They also received additional training while working and each student became certified as an ATSSA Flagger, OSHA 10, CPR and First Aid certified, as well as Competent Person Confined Space Entry, and Excavation certified. They also learned Southern Company Gas plastic pipe fusing techniques.

  Following the completion of this Work Ready Program iteration, Diversified Utility Services made a donation of $10,000 to Connecting Henry to ensure that they will be able to continue to offer the Work Ready Program to the community.

  “Diversified Utility Services was so impressed with the program that they wanted to ensure it continued. That’s why they donated the funds,” said Barbara Coleman, Executive Director at Connecting Henry. “They went above and beyond to mentor the students, conduct safety training courses and hired them as permanent employees when their work experience was over.”

  Both Kwafo and Ross have since begun their employment with Diversified Utility Services as Underground Utility Professionals.

  “The two students that we sponsored and then hired full-time have been great hires for us,” said Todd Day, President of Diversified Utility Services. “It has been rewarding for our team who assisted them through the training and work experience portion to see a program work and provide these students with not just a full-time job but a genuine career opportunity.”

  Both Kwafo and Ross expressed that the Work Ready Program has helped prepare them for a brighter future.

  “People kept asking me, ‘Where do you see yourself in the next two years?’ I never had an answer. Now, I can do all the things I’ve dreamed of doing. I’ve been an official employee for two months. It’s opening up so many different doors for me,” said Ross. “This program, I do believe, can be life changing, but it’s what you want to do with it. It’s not going to be easy but it’s going be worth it.”

  “I’m just really happy that I found a place and a community that really cares about me and wants me to succeed,” said Kwafo. “Before I entered the [Work Ready] Program, I was very lost. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do in my life or where I would be in five years. This is the first time I found something truly stable. I am just really happy that I found something that I can be proud of.”

  Since its creation in 2019, the Work Ready Program has seen 14 students graduate and move on to careers in a number of maintenance and related fields.

  The program is free and is available to qualifying Henry County residents.

   For more information about the Work Ready Program, contact Connecting Henry at 770-288-6230 or at www.connectinghenry.org.