Case studies: Graduate trainee quarry manager: David

After several pretty gruelling interviews David was fortunate enough to be offered a job as a graduate trainee with a large quarrying company based in Derbyshire.

David is a graduate trainee with a large quarrying company. He joined the company straight from university, where he studied economics. He was attracted to the quarrying industry after talking to a friend who had joined several years previously.

I joined my current company straight from university. I studied economics, which I enjoyed, but was very unsure about the career path that I wanted to pursue. After graduation I obtained a short-term job with a local landscape gardener but I knew I needed to make a career decision. A friend had joined Tarmac construction several years before and I was still in touch with him. We met at a friend’s birthday party and he told me about his job as a trainee quarry manager. He really enjoyed the variety and challenge of the role and it set me thinking about it as an option for myself. Previously, I had always assumed that such a job role would only be open to those with a relevant qualification in quarrying.

I spent some time researching the option along with other graduate training schemes and applied to a number of companies. After several pretty gruelling interviews I was fortunate enough to be offered a job as a graduate trainee with a large quarrying company based in Derbyshire. I have been with the company for nine months so I am still very much the ‘new boy’, although I have already been involved in a number of interesting projects and tasks.

I am currently working with the quarry manager acting as an assistant manager. I have been given particular responsibility for health and safety, although the quarry manager retains overall direct control of health and safety. I have also had experience of human resources and direct experience of many of the frontline tasks of quarrying. This has been a fascinating experience and has given me a great insight into production and all the challenges that it brings.

I feel that I am a member of a very closely knit team. I mainly work with people who studied quarrying at university or who gained craft level qualifications. However, I do not feel that they discount my experience or what I have to offer in any way. I am exploring the next step in terms of training and am looking at gaining a specific quarry management qualification. The company is very supportive of such a step.

I very much enjoy my job and am convinced that I have chosen the right career path. I am looking forward to developing my career in the industry with a long-term goal of becoming a quarry manager. So far, the main challenges have been around understanding a completely new industry and starting to understand its culture and way of operating. I most enjoy the close teamwork and the sense that I am really achieving something at work. It may sound corny but I am actually helping to keep the country moving and building!